Ashes of Our Lives
by Cooptown
Summary: JJ and Reid disappear without a trace, and this time the team will not come for them; they're going to have to get themselves out of this one if they're going to escape. Their time is running out. whump. 2010 CM Profiler's Choice Awards winner.
1. Prologue

**Here we go. I loves the whump.**

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_**Ashes of Our Lives – Prologue**_

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Every noise made her jump. She could hear him walking above them; the sound of his boots clanking against the tile upstairs was deafening in the otherwise silence of their enclosure. He hadn't come down in a while, and that thought was almost as worrying as when she heard him coming down the stairs.

JJ guessed at first that they were in a basement. Now, she wasn't so sure. It was a big place, like an underground dog kennel. There were rooms and _cages _and foul smells and unidentifiable stains on the concrete floor.

She brushed dirty blonde hair away from her face, coughing the rancid stench from her lungs and turning desperate blue eyes to the door at the top of the stairs, hoping beyond hope that any minute, Hotch or Morgan would rip that door down and come barreling down to save them.

She didn't think it would happen. No, this time, they were beyond help from their team. The man up in the house was brilliant, she knew. Her only source of comfort was that her partner was brilliant too.

She looked at Reid, feeling her stomach twist in concern. He hadn't spoken in hours, and JJ's worry was growing. She had given up trying to talk to him, he would only blink hazily and watch her with a horribly confused look in his darkened eyes. The young agent had been tossed there like a broken doll hours ago and he hadn't gathered the strength to sit up. But at least the bleeding had stopped.

JJ took a shallow breath, wishing her lungs could take in more but every time she felt ready to take a deep draught of air, there was a slash of pain across her chest that cut it short. She wasn't sure what exactly was wrong with her, but she knew she wasn't as okay as she'd been telling Reid. The shackle on her right ankle was cutting into her and she knew it was a matter of time before the deep cuts became infected. She hoped Reid hadn't gotten an infection from the bacteria on the cold floor he was resting carelessly against.

She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, willing her tired, aching body to take a few hours to recuperate. She wasn't sure how long she was out before she heard Reid coming to life beside her. He woke after what seemed like hours of trying, and he pushed himself upright with shaking arms. Once up, he immediately pressed one hand to the deep tear in his side. He was trembling.

"Spence," JJ whispered hoarsely. He looked at her, dirty chestnut hair in his eyes. She gestured to her side and he moved sluggishly to sit beside her, leaning back against the concrete wall. He sighed, coughing harshly and grimacing at the feel of the gritty air assaulting his battered lungs. She leaned her head on his slender shoulder, feeling her eyes moisten for the millionth time since they'd been thrown down in the cellar.

"They're coming for us," JJ whispered, trying to sound reassuring but she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince him. Reid's body trembled against her side.

"I'd like to believe that," he murmured hoarsely, "but in all likelihood, it'll be a long time before they figure out the unsub's name and put together the information that will lead them here."

His tired hazel eyes met her frightened blue ones.

"We're on our own this time JJ, and we're going to have to manage because if we don't stay strong he's going to slaughter us."

She didn't have time to respond before the door at the top of the stairs opened, filling the dim room with pale, sallow light. JJ started shaking beside Reid, her strength gone. Reid sat up straighter, attempting to look remotely threatening but cringing when the pain across his torso reminded him of the last time he'd tried to protect JJ.

The shadowed man climbed down the stairs in an unhurried fashion; his face blank and his arms limp at his sides. The agents noticed with alarm that both of his hands were holding something.

He looked purposely at JJ and Reid leaned forward, his youthful face for once twisted in hatred.

"Leave her alone," he hissed. He knew threatening the man wouldn't work; he'd disarmed both of them before they'd even gotten to the dark basement. He tried another approach.

"If you let her go," Reid reasoned, "I'll help you."

This brought about a reaction in their captor. His lips pulled back in a snarl.

"I don't need help," he spat. "It's enough to have two FBI agents down here, isn't it? You're profilers. Don't think I haven't done my research on you." He cut his eyes to JJ for a moment, and then flicked back to Reid. He lifted both hands, one holding a gun and the other a steak knife. "Actually, that was a lie." He paused and looked at JJ pointedly. "She isn't a profiler. But still, she's valuable."

Reid blinked. Using two different weapons at once was an odd choice but he didn't have time to ponder before the man stepped forward, pressing the gun to JJ's temple. There was a distinct change in JJ's breathing pattern that Reid picked up on immediately. She was so afraid, and Reid ached to help her.

"Please," he tried again, "don't hurt her."

The man lifted the knife and pressed the flat side of it against Reid's throat.

"You're a profiler," He repeated, "you get paid to study how I behave right? You think you know how I work." He dragged the tip of the blade almost playfully against Reid's pale skin. The young profiler could only watch him hatefully.

"You're the brains of your team, aren't you?" He asked before looking at JJ, "and you're the public. Take out the smarts and I've just bought myself a shit ton of time. Take out the liaison and nobody has a clue where I am next. Don't you see?" He looked back at Reid, dark eyes smoldering.

"I don't want your help with anything. I want to _kill you._ Taking down the FBI… it's the ultimate power trip. Isn't that how I am, profiler?" He pressed the point of the knife into Reid's skin, drawing tiny beads of blood. The young agent didn't make a sound.

"I get off on power. Taking down authority figures… the people who make other people feel safe. Isn't that what you say? Tell me agent, who have I killed so far?"

Reid's voice was hoarse and pained when he spoke, but his eyes flashed angrily.

"Eight people," he hissed. "Four cops, two teachers, and two FBI agents." His voice wavered at the end and the unsub jerked back, nodding once. His face was still expressionless.

"So you know what I'll do," He pulled the gun from JJ's head and the blonde nearly collapsed against her partner's shoulder.

"You know how I work," He snarled, "you know how I planned this all out. Your job is to predict my moves and _prevent it_. But you failed. Tell me then, agent. Am I going to do it?" He held up the blade so they could see.

Reid gave JJ a sidelong glance then looked back at the unsub standing over them so threateningly. He hesitated before he spoke.

"Yes."

The blade flashed as it lunged forward in the unsub's hand. Reid didn't make a sound, but JJ's shrieking made several people on the street above turn their heads.

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**Chapter one will be posted soon and it'll go back to the beginning of the case, and the way JJ and Reid ended up in this situation will be explained. **

**I'm going to stress that I've read a lot of kidnap fics on here, and I'm going to try very hard to make this one unlike some that I've read. **

**I will not make Reid a sniveling frightened coward who's going to cry in the corner until he's rescued. I'm going to portray him as the strong, intelligent individual that I know he is. JJ isn't going to break down either, she's level headed and collected and I'm going to write her as such. They're going to have to fight like hell to get out of this situation.**

**I'm going to keep this as in-character as I can, so it's going to be a JJ!Reid romantic pairing, but it'll be **_**very **_**mild, in character, and not until later chapters. **

**Happy Reading, please review if you feel so inclined. (: **


	2. Chapter 1

**Sorry for the boring first part- toward the middle of this chapter it gets more exciting but I had to explain how they got in this situation. Bear with me!**

**Also, I realized this plays out just like an episode. The prologue was a scary preview of what's to come, then, as you will see, it proceeds almost exactly in order of how an episode goes. o.o Weird, I didn't plan that, it's just how it happened. **

… **I watch too much TV.**

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_**Ashes of Our Lives – Chapter 1**_

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"We've got four cops dead and the Orange County police department is getting desperate."

JJ had started briefing the moment the last team member had stepped through the door and she was now trying not to grimace as she clicked through the pictures.

The BAU team listened as their liaison spoke, every one of them tired and aching from their last case, which hadn't seemed to have been solved long enough for them to have another one already.

"The victims were taken in pairs, with one male and one female," JJ continued, pulling up two photographs of two people, both smiling in their ID's. She clicked, and now came brutal images of mutilated bodies, shells of their former selves.

"They were found one month after their disappearance, bound in chains and displaying various torture wounds." She clicked again, bringing more violent images.

"Officer Taylor Grant was missing his teeth; they appear to have been pulled. I don't mean professionally pulled either. Officer Sadie Walker was missing both eyes." JJ's tone was grim; "this man had torture in mind. He wanted to cause pain and he seems to have been very good at it."

"Sadist," Morgan muttered needlessly, chin resting exhaustedly on one hand.

"As you can see, he thoroughly destroyed both cops. However; all four victims had defensive wounds on their bodies_. _But the damage is specific. The male victims have more trauma damage. Head wounds, beatings, broken bones. Both male victims' official COD's were ripped stab wounds to the torso. There were several. The females were raped repeatedly and violently, cut, and bruised, but ultimately a gun caused their deaths. Two bullets, one to the torso and one to the temple."

"Maybe the unsub is threatening torture," Reid said, pushing his long hair back, "and forcing the men to protect the females; something that comes naturally to them."

"Yeah but both bodies were mutilated," Emily said, dark eyes studying the screen, "did it occur post-mortem?"

JJ bit her lip. "Some of it did. Both were tortured, and it seems plausible that the men tried to protect the women, however in death, both bodies were destroyed and laid out for anyone to see."

"Shock value," Hotch said, leafing through the file in front of him.

Reid piped up, "he wants to create a shock and cause panic. The victims were

found-"

"In parks," JJ finished. "Where _children _would see." She looked disgusted by the idea.

"This guy's definitely sick," Morgan said, pushing the file away with distaste. "When do we leave, Hotch?"

The unit chief tore his eyes from the brutal pictures to look at his team.

"An hour, be ready to go."

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By the time the team met, ready to board, JJ was snapping her phone shut and looking at them, her expression downcast.

"Two more victims," she said, "teachers this time. So we have four cops and two teachers so far. We're going to have to move quickly on this one, guys."

They were working before the wheels had left the ground.

"So he's sadistic. He wants to cause as much pain as he can. He likes to watch the men defend the women," Morgan said, closing the file.

"He enjoys shock value," Reid said, "he places the victims in parks, where many people, including children, will see. He most likely watches the news coverage on the murders to see the reaction from the public."

"Which means he's got to be in a place that would have news coverage; somewhere modern with a TV. If he has a TV he either has a job to pay for it or he's living with someone who does."

"He couldn't be watching the news coverage in public, like at a bar or store?" JJ asked.

"No," Emily said, "he'd react strongly to the news. In a way that other people would find strange. He'd be excited, in a good way. Most people would notice this behavior."

"I don't think he's going to inject himself into the investigation," Rossi said, "he seems to get off on power, but considering his choice of victims I think he enjoys seeing the authorities squirm. Normally, his type would want to get involved, but this guy… he wants us to struggle. He wants to be a fly on the wall for this."

"This unsub is targeting people of authority, those who make others feel safe," Hotch said darkly. "When we land and split up, I want each and every one of you to be extremely careful. If this unsub wants to target agents, we have to make sure that we're two steps ahead of him if we can help it."

The team exchanged looks, the younger looking concerned and Hotch and Rossi only looking thoughtful.

"Prentiss and Rossi, I want the two of you to visit the morgue and learn more about the victim's deaths. Reid, you and JJ go to the police station. Talk to the sheriff and start a geographical profile. Work on victimology, you know the drill. Morgan, you can come with me to the crime scene."

Nods were exchanged and the files were closed while the jet began to descend.

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"Agent Jareau?" The rather round man asked as soon as the two agents had stepped into the police department. A rather unkempt looking mustache distracted from his weathered face, but JJ smiled and offered one slender hand, which he shook gratefully.

"Sheriff Lanham, you can call me JJ; this is Dr. Reid."

"Should I call you agent or doctor?" The man asked, eyeing the young, lanky male suspiciously.

"Either way is fine," Reid replied, fidgeting under the harshness of the man's gaze. "Could we see the victim's files? We need to work on victimology."

"Say what?" the sheriff asked, sounding irritated. "What the hell's that?"

JJ picked up on his irritation and spoke before Reid could launch into lengthy, nervous explanation, "Sheriff, I understand you're upset, but we need you to work with us."

"And I will," he said, "when I know what needs to be done."

"Victimology is a study of connection," Reid said quietly. JJ could sense he was feeling shy now. She sent him an encouraging look.

"We need to learn how the victims were connected and how they relate to our unsub- uh, _unknown subject. _The killer. We need to know- why these victims, why were they chosen? We need to know why they were picked and why that certain time and…"

Sheriff Weston was staring now, so Reid blushed and looked away.

"And stuff like that," the young agent wrapped up, his voice a mumble.

Sheriff Weston could see Reid's embarrassment, so he sighed heavily and gestured to the two agents.

"I'll have someone bring the files into the office we have set up for you guys."

He led them to a room that had a table and chairs, and there were already other files on the desk. JJ took a seat and began leafing through them while Reid stalked around the table to get a look at the map pinned up at the other side of the room. A few minutes later, another officer came in and tossed the requested files on the table. JJ reached for them.

"Taylor Grant and Sadie Walker were found in a park alongside Jamboree road," She told Reid, who marked the spot with a sharpie. He turned back to speak again when his phone started buzzing. Blinking, he capped the pen and answered the phone. He was silent for a few seconds, his expression becoming more confused. JJ watched, searching his face for a hint but there was none. He just looked troubled.

"Sure, we'll leave right now." He hung up and met JJ's blue eyes, frowning. "That was Rossi. Someone's saying they know the killer and he wants to talk to the FBI. Naturally, that means you and I because we're closer."

JJ stood, smoothing her blouse. "Where to?"

Reid looked at the address that had been texted to his phone. "A bar, right around here."

JJ blinked. "We're going to meet him at a _bar?" _

"He's already there and we're close by," Reid shrugged. "We can bring him back here. Do you have the keys?" She tossed them to him and they made their way out of the police department and toward the parked SUV waiting patiently outside.

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The bar was organized chaos.

Like any bar on the weekend, it was full of people. People organized by groups, class, and activities. Reid found himself following JJ closely, unaccustomed to the noise and sheer volume of people within the small building.

JJ turned suddenly and asked, "How do we find him?" She'd had to raise her voice to be heard above the music, and Reid frowned.

"He said he'd be waiting by the back door, where it's quietest so we could hear."

They made their way to the back of the bar and found a man waiting for them. He looked rather average; maybe five-nine. His hair was dark blonde and his eyes were a hard, crystalline blue.

"Agents?" He asked when the approached, and the two displayed their badges authoritatively. He nodded. "I'm Alex Napuri. I called you about the, uhm, murders."

"Yes," Reid replied quickly, "you said you knew the killer. Do you know his name?"

He shook his head. "No, but I have a picture. He comes into the hardware store I own every few days. Weird guy, but I didn't think anything was wrong until I heard of the murders. He comes in to buy tools and the other day, there was blood under his fingernails. I asked about it, he got upset and left, taking a chainsaw with him. He hadn't paid for it," he said the last part sourly, and the two agents exchanged glances.

"Can you show us the photo?" JJ asked.

"It's in my car, if you come with me I can show you."

She nodded, then turned to Reid, "why don't you step out and call the others to let them know?"

Reid pulled out his phone, already dialing. "Sure."

JJ followed Alex out into the cool night. She rubbed one arm with her opposite hand, brow drawing together. The parking lot was abandoned; they were behind the building, and no cars were parked back here.

"Uhm, where did you park?" She asked casually.

Alex whirled around in a blinding flash of movement, grabbing her arm and drawing a gun from under his jacket. He pressed it to his temple.

"Don't move," he hissed. JJ stared at him with wide eyes. "Do exactly what I tell you."

-x-

"He's giving JJ a picture," Reid said into the phone. Morgan sounded tired, and the younger profiler sympathized. "Hopefully we can wrap this up soo- hold on," he pulled the phone away to stare at the screen. It was flashing _JJ. _Blinking, he spoke into it again. "Morgan, I'll call you back. JJ's calling." He switched over.

"JJ?"

"Spence," she replied quickly. He felt a cold sense of dread wash over him; he could tell immediately by the wheezing in her voice and the speed of her short breaths that she was nervous.

"JJ, what's wrong? _Where are you?_"

"Out back," she said, her voice wavering only slightly. Reid could tell immediately she was trying to fool him. "Nothing's wrong," she spoke again, "Alex is going to take me to where the unsub lives… go back to the PD and finish the geographical profile."

She sounded calm enough toward the end, but Reid knew. She was trying to trick him. "JJ," he replied softly, "Alex never said he knew where the unsub lived."

He heard a soft click, and his heart skipped a beat. He knew the sound; a gun's safety being clicked off. JJ was disturbingly quiet. Without another thought, he hung up and stuffed the phone into his pocket, making his way out back.

He pushed past the oblivious people, throwing his slim weight through the rear door of the building and facing a situation he'd hoped to never see.

Alex held JJ in front of him protectively, a gun pressed to her temple. She stared at Reid with searching blue eyes, trusting him to help. He reached for his own gun.

"No," Alex said as Reid drew it, aiming it carefully at his head. Alex pressed his deeper into JJ's ruffled blonde hair.

"Drop it and follow instructions," Alex said calmly, "Put the gun on the ground and walk toward me. Then we're going to get in the car."

Reid's eyes did a rapid sweep of the lot. He didn't see a car. He looked back at Alex Napuri, and his grip didn't loosen on the gun. He clicked the safety off and Alex's steely eyes glinted. "Let her go," Reid said evenly, "then we'll talk. You don't have to hurt either of us."

"I don't have to," Alex agreed, pointing the gun at Reid. JJ didn't relax; if possible, she tensed even more. "But I want to. Now _put it down_, agent!"

"Reid, just do it," JJ said urgently. Reid hesitated before obeying, setting his weapon on the ground and stepping away from it. He looked disgusted, and JJ looked at the ground guiltily.

"Walk in front of me, toward the side of the building," Alex growled sharply. Reid looked at him expressionlessly, striding toward the designated area while JJ followed, with Alex behind.

It didn't take long to reach the silver car parked next to the bar. Reid noted absently that it was a lexus, before he was ushered into the back of the vehicle. JJ followed suit, pressing harshly to his side as Alex pushed her in. The suspect closed the door and made his way quickly to the front, getting in and locking the doors but not starting the ignition.

"Now," he said slowly, pulling a box from under the passenger seat. He opened it and pulled out a slim, delicate syringe. JJ felt Reid lean back in alarm, and she pressed her elbow into his side. Not the most comforting gesture, but she didn't want to alert their captor of her intentions.

"It's okay, it's okay," she murmured, as quietly as she could. Alex's brow furrowed.

"Such a liar," he sighed wistfully. Both agents were still, knowing that resisting would do no good. Alex slipped the needle into the side of Reid's neck, and the young agent could only watch the man's face hatefully for a few seconds before he exhaled slowly, the tension leaving his body. He sank limply against the window.

Now, JJ was alone with the unsub. At least, she'd decided he had to be their unsub. He reached into the box for another syringe and JJ felt a growing panic.

"Please," she tried. She at least had to try. "Why are you doing this to us? We're only here to help people…"

"Idiot," the man hissed, pressing the needle into her slim throat. She began to drift, but she heard his words before she passed out.

"I'm going to kill you because I want to. And I'm going to enjoy _every single minute._"

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**I hope nobody's scared off by the drugs. It won't be an important factor but I've read so many post-**_**Revelations**_** drug-fics that I won't make this one of them. **

**I like to make readers think; what do you think will happen next? How will they give the team clues? We'll see. **

**Thanks for the reviews on the prologue, guys. I appreciate them all and I try to respond to most of them unless it's like 'hey good update soon' then I'm like 'thanks' and I don't know what else to say. XD**

**Let me know what you think. (: I'll have chapter 2 up asap.**

**Until next time, **

**Sharky**


	3. Chapter 2

**OMG DOES SOMEONE WANT TO KICK MY ASS INTO GEAR PLZ? Jeez I take so long. **

**INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC FOR THIS CHAPTER: My Humps – B.E.P**

**Thanks for the crazy amount of alerts on this, everyone. (: And of course the reviews; your support means the world to me!**

**For this fic you must now picture Reid with that short hair he had on these past two episodes. He was so gorgeous, I damn near cried. Hot ass.**

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_**Ashes of Our Lives – Chapter 2**_

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JJ roused slowly, waking to the comfortable sensation of a warm body resting against her side. She blinked foggy blue eyes until the world came into focus. She was surprised to see that it was despairingly dark and washed out, despite the fact that her last memories took place in the early evening. She sat up straight, brow furrowed. The first thing she noticed upon moving was the fact that her right ankle was shackled to the floor. Her stomach twisted violently and she fought the urge to call out.

"You awake?"

The soft voice nearly made her jump out of her skin, and she turned her blonde head just slightly, allowing her partner to come into view. Reid watched her curiously, the lightest yellow of his eyes glinting in the sallow overhead light. She glanced over his lithe frame, then her own. She spoke after she'd deduced that neither of them had acquired any physical damage.

"Yeah, barely." She frowned suddenly, as though remembering something, and looked around. Her stomach twisted once again when the realization sunk in. The room was dark; only one dim light bulb hung from the ceiling. "Where are we?"

Reid shrugged one shoulder. "It looks like some kind of cellar, but there are cages down here. Like a kennel."

The thought of dogs that needed to be kept in cages send a cold tendril of fear through JJ. She looked at Reid harshly. "How can you act so… so _nonchalant?" _When he didn't reply, she continued. "Reid, why did you get in that car? I trusted you to get us out of this, and you just went along with him."

He looked at her sharply, and she was startled by the regret she saw. "Because I had something you didn't," he said, and she winced at the bite in his voice. "The _profile._ You trusted me to get you out of it, and I would have. Even though I drew my weapon on him, I couldn't shoot him. But he would've shot you if I hadn't listened. In any situation like that we, as agents, are supposed to give up our weapons."

She was quiet, her pale eyes averted, so he continued. "His profile said that he would have killed both of us there without a second thought without compliance. At least this way we have a chance."

"Are we going to die here, Spence?" She finally asked, her tone softer than one would expect.

He looked away, watching the door at the top of the distant staircase. "Not if we can help it."

"How?" JJ asked with a furrowed brow. "How do we fight a murderer when we're locked down in a cellar, half-drugged?"

"We use the one tool we have."

"The profile," JJ replied quietly. "What does it say? I can't… I can't read people like you guys can."

"I'll teach you some tricks," Reid offered, "it'll help you now and in the future."

"If we have a future."

He frowned. "Don't be negative. We've been through worse."

She didn't respond right away and he was about to call her name when she suddenly squeaked his. He looked at her inquisitively. "What is it?"

"Oh, my god," she murmured, leaning back against the wall, "Reid, tell me _what the hell that is." _She gestured to the far wall to their right, nearly fifty feet away. Reid's dark eyes traced toward the wall and he stiffened at the sight.

Tools were put up on the walls. He certainly didn't know what all of them were, but he recognized many of them. Tools and surgical instruments, adorned the wall in a macabre collection. He had no doubts they'd be facing some of them up close soon enough.

"That's the true torture," Reid said softly, "the torture of not knowing. Anticipation."

"Not knowing… what's going to be used next?" JJ asked in response, and she felt sick when her companion nodded slowly.

"So it's _psychological_ torture as well as physical."

JJ was about to reply when the door at the stairs creaked open. Both agents looked immediately and stiffened at the sight of the man who was now making his way down. He looked unnaturally calm and so _average._ However, unremarkable as he looked, her looked nothing like the friendly looking man that had offered them a photograph back at the bar.

He finally faced them in worn denim jeans and a gray tshirt with a logo neither of them recognized. His hard blue eyes studied them. "You ready?"

"For?" Reid asked, and JJ leaned back to allow him to do the talking.

The man smiled bitterly. "I think the three of us should become better acquainted, don't you?"

"I think it depends on what you mean by that."

His expression hardened at Reid's soft sarcasm, but the young agent looked resigned if anything, not defiant. The unsub tilted his head.

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you. First, we should discuss the rules."

The agents exchanged looks, and Alex Napuri continued. "First of all, you're going to stay down here for as long as I decide. You can struggle if you want, but you won't be able to get anywhere, clearly. But stay quiet or I'll have to keep you sedated. Unless you want to be constantly on drugs, you' better do as you're told."

Reid visibly recoiled at the thought, but JJ just watched their captive with a growing amount of dread building in her pale eyes.

"You've already seen the wall," he replied, sounding bored. "I'm not giving any hints beforehand, so use you're imaginations. I'm sure they're very active."

"Our team will find us," JJ said suddenly, unable to stop even as Reid shot her a desperate look. She missed the anger that clouded on Alex's face. "They'll find us and you'll spend the rest of your life in jail if you don't get the death penalty."

"JJ," Reid hissed, his low tone unheard as Alex's entire demeanor shifted. His calm was gone and his face was twisted. He sprang into motion without warning, like a striking snake, and lashed the young blonde once across the face.

"Stop," Reid half-shouted, leaning forward and pulling harshly at the shackles. JJ reeled back but didn't make a sound. She only watched their captor warily.

"Idiotic bitch," Alex said, "you wish they'll come for you but they won't. They can't. They won't find you; they haven't found me yet and they aren't going to. I'm too smart; I've hidden myself so well they won't find me, not now not ever. The only evidence of my existence are the bodies I leave. So at the end of the month when they find your mangled, tortured carcasses in the grass… that will be the only thing to ever say where I've been. And I'll be sure to leave them a copy of the journal this time!"

"What journal?" Reid implored quietly, trying to sound meek. He found it disturbingly easy.

At this, Alex smiled cruelly. "Well, what would all this be worth if I couldn't relive it? I'm going to document absolutely everything that goes on for the duration of your… stay, here."

JJ squirmed, settling heavily against the wall and letting her arm press against Reid's. She decided to stay quiet this time and let him talk; he knew what he was doing and all she could do was hope and pray that she hadn't just made a very big mistake.

"You seem very hopeful," Alex continued, "that your team will find you. But they won't. You see, I've hidden myself so well, they have _nothing _to lead them here. They can tear apart my entire life and they still won't figure out where you are."

Both agents were quiet as their captor made his way to the far side of the room, where a tiny vent leading to the outside allowed in a small sliver of light. Alex pulled a shade over it, tearing away the only shred of natural light.

"You will have no sense of time," he said. "You won't know how long you've been down here, and that is exactly my intention. Tell me, genius, what is that?"

Reid's reply was immediate. "Sensory deprivation."

JJ tensed, and Alex nodded once. "Complete isolationism."

He paused a moment before glancing away. "Your damsel looks rather distressed. She isn't really a field agent, is she?"

Reid felt an involuntary shiver, disturbed at how much this man knew about them. His dark eyes flicked over briefly to look at JJ, and he noted that while her face was collected, she was very tense. Distressed indeed.

Reid closed his eyes a moment before answering, turning to glare at Alex Napuri with a new hate. "JJ's proven herself time and time again as a capable agent. Both in the field and through the media."

"Clever answer," the unsub replied coolly, turning to make his way back up the stairs. He slammed the door behind him and JJ began squirming immediately, trying to get her foot loose from the restraint.

"Where's he going?" she hissed, reaching around to grab the cuff. Reid didn't reply, and after a second, light once again flooded the basement. They glanced up to see Alex returning down the stairs, closing the door. He held a leash in one hand. The leash was latched to the collar of the beast currently loping down the stairs with Alex in tow.

JJ plastered herself against Reid's side, blue eyes wide as saucers. She didn't make a sound, and Reid watched the dog with a grim expression.

"I'm sure you noticed the kennels," Alex said, coming to a stop just feet from them. The big animal growled at them, ears pinned back. "This is _Tank._ He's a German Shepherd; pretty thing, isn't he? Black sable. I'm sure you'll get to know him real well during your stay here."

He moved to latch the leash onto a clip in the cement floor near the base of the stairs. When he let go, the canine immediately ran for the agents. JJ made a strangled noise, and Reid leaned into her instinctively but the dog was stopped by the leash when he was only a few feet away from them. He barked madly.

"The clip that's holding the leash in place can snap open," Alex explained lightly, "on the push of a button. So I suggest you behave unless you want those teeth in you. He's rather mean. You guys have a nice night; I'll drop in later, but for now, I have some work to do."

He left the basement again, leaving the two stunned agents in the basement with a mad dog.

"Reid," JJ hissed immediately after their captor's departure, "what do we do?"

She was leaning back into the wall and into him, trying to get as far away from the dog as possible. The canine refused to sit; he still stood, stock stiff, staring at them with copper red-brown eyes. The glinting of his bared, white teeth offered the only source of light in the dim room.

Reid watched the dog warily. "All we can do now is try not to disturb him."

"That's not what I wanted to hear."

"I know, JJ, I know," he replied exasperatedly, "I don't want to be here either, but we're going to have to think things through before we start acting. He _will _hurt and kill us if we're not careful."

"Then _what do we do?" _She asked again. "I can't figure him out like you can, I'm useless in here!"

"You're not, you just need to calm down."

"I can't calm down, there's a dog right there!" She pointed at the animal just as the catch on the lease released. She jerked in shock and the dog lunged toward them, jaws snapping.

"Get it away!" JJ shrieked, throwing her hands out as Reid did the same. They pushed at the dog but the animal was impossibly strong. Reid leaned forward as much as he could, wincing at the feel of JJ pressing harshly into him. The animal clawed and bit at their hands.

Despite the screams and combined efforts, it wasn't long before jagged claws and polished teeth sank into soft, relenting flesh.

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**BLAH that was so much shorter than it should have been. Oh well. :C**

**This chapter: I actually own a black-sable German Shepherd; he's massive and if you don't know him, he's frickin' scary. Actually, he scares my family sometimes cause he IS aggressive and has bitten my mom… but we love him too much to get rid of him and he's getting a lot better, behavior wise. He's so pretty, but I'd never want to cross one in the dark. His eyes are seriously brownish-red. His name is Cody and he is vicious but also a love-muffin. XD**

(I also own a Chihuahua named Peanut.)

**Next Chapter: The team will be like wtf is happening and the plot will begin to take a few turns. Stay tuned, peoples~!**

**Please read, enjoy, and review!**

**TIL ALL ARE ONE, **

**- Sharky**


	4. Chapter 3

**How fast was that? You guys so owe me.**

**Kidding, I write 'cause I love you guys. (: thanks for the support!**

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_**Ashes of Our Lives – Chapter 3**_

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Nearly every under-aged person at the bar had cleared out the moment Hotch's vicious gaze had swept through the dimly lit room. The entire team slunk through the building, relieved that the ruckus was dying down and yet worried that witnesses were escaping.

Morgan sidled up to one of the remaining bartenders, an older looking man with graying hair and dark, worried eyes. Morgan's own expression was so determined; it could easily be mistaken for anger. He held up his badge to the bartender, who froze at the site. The agent slipped the ID back into his pocket and pulled two photographs from his wallet, slapping them down onto the counter.

"You seen them tonight, sir?" He asked gruffly.

The older man leaned forward to peer at the pictures. One held the portrait of a smiling young lady with friendly blue eyes and neatly groomed blonde hair.

"This is an older picture," Morgan supplied when the man's nearly-white brow furrowed. "She has bangs now."

"I've seen her," He replied quickly. "Earlier tonight. She went out back with a man a little older than her. I remember 'cause she was dressed formally for a place like this… lot o' girls come in here wearing hardly nothin'."

"What did he look like?"

The bartender shrugged one shoulder and Morgan resisted the urge to snap at his callousness. "Average height, fit… blonde, I think. I didn't catch his eye color."

"And him?" Morgan pushed the other picture toward the man. Reid's expression looked neutral, but it was a good picture; recent, so his shortish hair was splayed in every direction and flipped at the ends. His hazel eyes were curious, as always.

"Oh, that sleepy looking fellow," The bartender said after a moment, "dressed all in slacks and a tie in a bar, not easy to forget that. When that girl went on outside he walked on over here and was on the phone. He went outside too after a minute and that was the last I saw of 'em."

"Thanks," Morgan said, stuffing the pictures back into his wallet and sauntering over to where Hotch and Emily were watching Rossi. The senior agent was looking closely at a mark on the floor.

"What's that?" Derek asked upon arrival. Two dark sets of eyes met his as Emily and Hotch offered him their attention.

"A scuff," Emily said, "could be nothing, but based on what you told us on the phone… Reid said JJ was calling when you talked to her. He could've left a scuff from his shoe if he took off fast."

"Oh," Morgan replied, "well the bartender said he saw JJ go out back with a man and that Reid followed a few minutes later."

"Let's get back there then," Hotch replied immediately, and the three set off toward the back." Rossi stared at the smudge on the ground a moment longer before he moved to meet them out back.

Emily was bending to look at something, and Dave stepped up beside her, his brow lifting toward his hairline in surprise.

The weapon that rested on the ground in front of them mirrored the ones they all carried. Emily felt a dull shiver creep up her spine. "Reid's gun… JJ didn't have one on her. But why would the unsub leave it here for anyone to find?"

"He wanted _us _to find it," Rossi replied grimly.

"Other than the gun," Hotch said suddenly, "we have nothing to go on. We don't know the unsub's name; only that he was blonde and of average height. What was the name he gave us when we sent Reid and JJ to meet him?"

"Jacob something," Morgan sighed, "Hollinder, maybe? I can't remember…"

"We can have Garcia trace the phone he called you from," Hotch murmured, shaking his head. "It's a long shot but it's the best we have right now. We're going to need more than what we've got if we're going to find them."

He turned to head back out front but stopped when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to meet Morgan's desperate gaze.

"Hotch," he asked quietly, his tone strained. "You know what this guy does to his victims…"

"Morgan," the older agent chided immediately, but Derek shook his head.

"What if we can't find them in time?"

"JJ is an emotionally strong woman," Hotchner replied softly. "All she has to do is stay strong; you know as well as I do that she's capable of doing just that."

"And Reid?"

"He's hope," Hotch said, looking upward. "If JJ can stay strong, Reid can figure out a way to get them loose. If there was ever a time to be thankful for his intelligence…"

"His smarts are always valued, Hotch," Morgan replied quickly, "_always." _

"If only he knew that."

"Come on," Rossi said suddenly, a frown on his normally collected face. "We'd better head back to the station. There's nothing more we can do here."

The three men headed back toward the SUV at front, while Emily picked up Reid's abandoned gun in one gloved hand, gazing at it intently with intense, nearly-black eyes. Lips parted slightly in thought, she stood and followed her colleagues to the FBI issued vehicle, holding the weapon as tightly as she dared.

* * *

JJ hid her trembling well as she leaned back against the concrete wall behind her. She stared blankly at her bloodied hands, trying to resist the urge to move to Reid's side. She desperately wanted him to know she was strong; but the dog had been more than she could handle. At least it wasn't that bad yet.

The gashes in her forearms and the punctures in her right hip were burning and throbbing, and the aching was giving her a migraine. She turned glassy blue eyes to where Reid was resting a few feet away. His head was tilted back, with his eyes closed and pale lips parted slightly. His fingers were as bloodied as hers, but the dog had only gotten one good bite at him. She could see the deep punctures at the base of his throat, just at his collarbone and she remembered the harsh snap of the bone as the animal had ripped backward.

Thankfully, Alex had only left the canine loose for a few minutes before he came down to call it off. The dog was currently enclosed in one of the kennels a few yards away, watching them with copper eyes. His bloodied muzzle continually poked out between the bars of the cage and his glossy, black nose twitched as he scented their blood in the air. JJ felt sick.

Reid didn't stir when Alex came downstairs again, but JJ felt her body tense like a drawn bowstring. The man held a box in each hand by a handle, and JJ nearly squirmed at the thought of what the boxes contained. When he set them down and opened one to pull out medical supplies, she felt her surprise must have been clear.

He noticed it immediately, and he eyed her carefully while pulling a bottled solution from the kit. He moved toward her, dabbing a cotton wad in the liquid and pressing it to one of the cuts on her arm. She hissed, trying to pull away but he held fast.

"You look surprised," he commented after a moment, moving to clean the other gashes along her arms. "I can't have you dying on me just yet, can I? I tend to get… attached, to my girls."

JJ's eyes were hard, and she glanced at Reid. "Are you going to help him too?"

"Of course. You're prettier, in my opinion, but I don't want him dead just yet either."

"His collarbone is broken. I heard it break."

"Yeah," Alex agreed nonchalantly, and JJ had to grit her teeth. "Tank's pretty rough… I did warn you."

"Why did you let him loose? We hadn't done anything."

"Exactly. You weren't expecting it… made it twice as fun. For me, anyway. And I'm sure Tank enjoyed himself." Alex sneered, wrapping gauze around JJ's slim arms and taping it in place. "Don't you move now."

He reached for the waist of JJ's knee-length skirt, and the blonde stiffened, moving her legs away from him.

"Please, don't," she whispered, watching his fingers slip toward the button with wide blue eyes. He didn't listen; he unbuttoned her skirt with ease and slipped the edge down in order to see the cut in her hip. Her eyes watered, but he paid no heed as he cleaned and dressed the injury there.

He slipped his hand a little lower under the waistline and JJ bit her lip, but he went no further and soon withdrew, buttoning her skirt and pulling her blouse down.

"That'll do for now," he said gruffly. "But it'll have to be changed later."

"Please, help Spence."

"_Spence_, is it? How cute. I'll help your little boyfriend out, don't you worry your pretty little head." He moved over to the male agent, who stirred and watched him carefully without saying a word.

"Hi _Spence_, how you feeling?"

Reid didn't reply, but his tilted his head back to allow access to the jagged wound at the base of his throat. Alex raised one brow.

"Straight to the point I see. Well, I'll get this done as _carefully _as I can." He pressed his fingers against the injury and Reid grunted at the pressure against the fractured bone. Alex pushed a little until he felt the edges slip into place and Reid dug his nails into the ground, refusing to make a sound. Alex dabbed the disinfectant on the torn edges and taped down a gauze pad.

"Ah, that should do it my friend." Alex Napuri packed the supplies back into the kit and moved to open the second one. Both agents blinked in surprise and watched curiously as he lifted out a covered plate and two water bottles.

"As much as I'd love to starve you," Alex drawled lazily, peeling the tin foil cover off the plate to reveal two sandwich halves and some apple slices, "you gotta eat a little if you're going to last long enough to be any fun. So, here you are… and do enjoy it, I don't know when you'll get fed next."

He left slowly, closing and locking the door behind him.

JJ scooted over to be closer to Reid, until their shoulders were nearly touching. She looked at the food, her mouth set in a grim line. "Reid… how long do you think until he… he decides to…" She paused, and he looked at her sadly. "He put his hand down my skirt a little, and I'm afraid of what comes next."

"I won't let him touch you if I can help it JJ," Reid replied quietly, his voice tired. "I'm not going to sit by and let him… rape… you…" He didn't think to come up with a gentler word, and he regretted it the moment he felt the slight blonde stiffen against him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured softly, looking at her from under dark lashes.

She shook her head. "Don't be… I know you'll help me in any way you can." She sniffed. "Should we eat that?" She gestured to the sandwich, but Reid just eyed it warily.

"We won't have a choice before long; but I'm willing to bet it's drugged or mildly poisoned. He wants control and he likes tricking us. I bet the water's dosed too."

"So what do we do?"

Reid shrugged. "For now, avoid it. But soon, hunger will take over and we won't have a choice. Let's just put it off for as long as we can."

JJ folded her hands around her aching abdomen, pulling her eyes from the food to instead look at the German Shepherd, glowering at them from the far corner of the room.

* * *

"_I can be there first thing tomorrow morning." _

"Baby, you know we want you here," Morgan replied slowly, hating the way Penelope's voice sounded so distraught and teary. She had nearly panicked the moment he'd relayed the news. With a sigh, he tightened his grip on the cell phone. "We want you here, and Reid and JJ would want you here too but we need you back there, helping us find this guy."

"_You know I'm going to help in any way I can, handsome, but I need to be there helping to look. I can't leave them alone…" _

"You have to stay back in Quantico and help us find him," Morgan repeated, feeling at a loss. His heart sank at the realization of how badly Garcia wanted to be there in California with them.

"_I can set up a system out there. Derek, I need to be there." _

"Garcia, just… just give it a few days, okay? We're going to try as hard as we can to get something for you, I know you feel helpless right now but we need you more than ever, okay? Just a few days, if we can't get anything by then, you can meet us out here. Reid and JJ will want to see you when we get them back."

His words seemed to reassure her, because she didn't protest or reply right away. When she spoke, her tone was shaky. _"I miss you, thundercat. I could use one of those hugs of yours. Promise me we'll get them back." _

"You know we will, Garcia," he replied strongly, his voice soothing. "I promise."

"_Get some rest and then find them, Derek. I'll talk to you later… goodnight." _

"Goodnight Penelope. I miss you too." He stared at the phone for a few seconds after she hung up, blinking slowly until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Morgan glanced up to see Prentiss watching him. Her dark eyes were troubled, her entire demeanor weary.

"Hotch wants us to head back to the hotel to get some sleep," she said quietly. She continued before he could protest, "we can come back first thing in the morning, but for now, there's nothing for us to go on."

"I just don't see how I'm gonna get any sleep when they're out there in all sorts of hell." His expression was pained and Emily looked away, unsure of what to say.

"Let's go," she said after a moment. He followed her to the SUV, avoiding Hotch and Rossi's inquisitive gaze. He slipped into the backseat beside Emily. The tension in the car was thick enough to be cut with a knife, but Hotch's stern voice broke through it just as easily.

"Listen," he started, gaining the attention of everyone in the vehicle. His own dark eyes didn't tear from the road, but his fingers tightened on the suburban's steering wheel. "I know we're all worried, and with reason. But we're no use to Reid or JJ running on empty, and we have nothing to go on for now. We're going to get some sleep and start again in the morning with fresh eyes."

Nobody spoke, but the message had gotten across. None of them liked it, but the point of Hotch's words were understood. The rest of the drive went in relative silence until the group found themselves standing in the hotel room lobby.

"We'll regroup down here in the morning," Hotchner said, eyeing the team members carefully before turning to head back to his room. The team split up seconds after.

Morgan hesitated in front of his door, unsure of whether he wanted to open it or not. Heaving a tired sigh, he finally did, wincing at the sight of Reid's belongings scattered on his side of the room beside Morgan's much neater half. Notebooks and case files were littering the bed, his go-bag resting under the end-table. It was open and clothes were sticking out. Morgan resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Reid's disorganization, but instead he sauntered over to the bed and picked up one of the notebooks, clutching it as though desperately hoping that the young genius had left some clue there. As if he'd known what would happen.

He opened the cover and his eyes widened at the sight of the first page, which read simply: 'Morgan, stay out of my stuff!' with a tiny smiley face doodled in one corner. He couldn't help the smile that tore at the edges of his mouth, and it was accompanied by a searing wave of sadness. It was just so _Reid. _Throwing the notebook down at the bed, he turned and headed toward his own side of the room to get ready to get to sleep.

Ten minutes later when he was dressed and his teeth were brushed, he climbed into bed and threw Reid's stuff one last, long look before setting his alarm and letting himself slip into a troubled sleep.

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"I'm hungry."

Reid awoke with a sharp jolt at the sound of JJ's voice, and the sudden movement sent a shock of pain through his shattered clavicle. She was watching him, her expression troubled and her pale lips set in a frown. He glanced over to see the food Alex had left for them had remained untouched.

He tilted his head. "We're going to have no choice soon, anyway, so if you're starving you might as well go ahead. Besides, we don't know for sure if he's drugged it or not. The water, probably, but maybe not the food…"

"Can't the profile tell you?" Her pale brow furrowed and she pushed the plate toward him. "You need to eat too if it's safe."

"He wants to control us, yes, but he's doing that pretty well already. Unless he has something big planned for soon, there isn't really a reason to poison us with food. Likely, he just needs us to stay alive."

JJ thought for a moment, then picked up one half of the sandwich, holding it out to him. "It doesn't look too great but we don't have a choice."

He shook his head. "You eat it, keep up your strength… you've already lost blood."

She sat up straighter, wincing at a slash of pain across her hip. "Spence, no-"

"JJ," he cut her off, and she was silenced by the resigned fear she saw in his normally bright eyes. "What we know about him tells me that you're going to need your strength for what's to come. Please, please trust me."

She tried again to protest but he wouldn't listen. Resigned, and teary-eyed, she nibbled the food helplessly while he urged her quietly throughout. When she was done, she turned away from the plate harshly and met his eyes with her own watery blue ones.

"Feel better?" he asked softly. "You're going to have to be strong, JJ. I'm going to try to protect you as best I can but you have to be strong too."

She slid over to where he was leaning against the concrete wall, grateful to be closer to him and farther from the dog that paced in his cage. After a moment of thinking, she slipped her arm through his, allowing his limp hand to rest in her lap. She took his hand in her free one and traced patterns in his palm, massaging the skin. She pressed two fingers to his wrist, feeling his pulse beat strongly under her fingertips. She smiled weakly, and he tilted his head toward her.

"It's reassuring," she explained, though she knew she didn't have to. He'd already known. They enjoyed the temporary peace until once again, the noise of Alex's boots coming toward the door and finally coming down the stairs stole their attention once again. JJ's grip tightened on Reid's hand and he folded his fingers in to touch hers.

"Stay strong," he reminded her, and she nodded slowly.

Alex came down the steps hurriedly this time. He made a beeline for JJ and Reid sat up straighter, straining forward as their captor reached for her.

"Don't touch her," he said roughly, pulling at his bindings and watching the man intently. Without a glance, Alex ripped the pistol he'd threatened them with earlier from his belt and fired it at Reid.

JJ cried out at the sound of the firing weapon, but she couldn't see what had happened before Alex was on her, pinning down her wrists and straddling her hips. She gasped when he lifted one hand and slipped it downward, undoing her skirt and working it off. She squirmed, trying to tilt her head but she hadn't been able to before he dug his nails into her, forcing her attention back on him.

"Don't look at him, bitch, look at me," Alex hissed, and she complied, breathing harshly through her tears. When her skirt came loose and he began working on removing her underwear, she flinched started to struggle madly.

"Reid!" She cried, feeling Alex's hand grope her where he didn't have a right to. He grew violent and she twisted, pushing at him with all her might, digging her pale-pink painted nails into his shoulders. He glared back at her viciously, mouth set in a tiny smile. She bared her teeth at him, blue eyes smoldering between anger and despair. He began easing himself up and her struggles doubled in intensity.

"Reid! Spence, god, Spence," she tried, but she had no way of telling whether or not Reid had heard her. "Spence, help, please…"

She didn't hear a response from him and she remembered the gunshot. She felt the bottom of her stomach drop out and she struggled not to vomit, staring into Alex Napuri's hard blue eyes. He slipped out of his pants and straddled her again. Until now, she hadn't known just how bad it'd be.

"_Reid!"_

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**Don't kill me, you don't know what's going to happen yet. Only I do, mwaha.**

**To make up for the short last chapter, not to mention how long it took me to post it, here's chapter therein a jiffy and much longer. (: **

**Thanks for all the reviews guys, I really, really appreciate it. Let me know what you think about this chapter! I'll have the next part up as soon as I can. **

**Til all are one, **

**Sharky**


	5. Chapter 4

**Wow, 60 reviews already? You guys are so awesome. Much love to all of you!**

**PS: I'm writing this with my Chihuahua, Peanut, on my lap. He says hello.**

**(Then my mom noticed him on my lap and screamed at me for spoiling him cause she was trying to train him so he is no longer on my lap.) **

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_**Ashes of Our Lives – Chapter 4**_

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JJ screamed.

She twisted and fought, desperately pushing Alex's body with her hands.

"_Reid!" _She tried once more, and this time results of her efforts came about immediately. The harsh pressure of Alex's body over hers disappeared, and she felt her captor topple sideways off of her. She sat up immediately and scooted back, scrambling to her feet.

When she saw Reid sprawled out beside Napuri, she knew that the young agent had tackled the older man off of her. Despite everything, her delicate brows rose in surprise. She glanced over her shoulder to see a scuff on the concrete wall from where the bullet had hit. Reid sat up quickly, and stood when he noticed the chain at his ankle was at its limit. He moved back as Alex got to his feet, eyes wild and lips pulled back in a snarl.

"I thought you were smarter than that," he hissed, moving forward. JJ glanced between the two males, and Reid only stood his ground, watching Alex calculatingly. "I ought to gut you like a fish."

He reached down to grab a hunting knife from the side of his hiking boot, and JJ let out a startled gasp, moving to stand beside her partner.

"Reid," she hissed under her breath. His eyes moved fractionally, but he didn't look at her. It was enough to let her know he'd heard. "Do something."

He seemed disappointed with her words, and when Alex came toward them again he tilted his head. "You can't kill us now," he said slowly, "it would be over too quickly for you."

"Oh," Alex replied, smiling charmingly. "But you haven't even seen my medical collection yet. I can fix you up real good just before you bleed to death." He flashed the blade and both agents took a step back, pressing against the wall behind them.

"But not now."

His words seemed to ease a little of the tension both agents' were feeling, but the relief was short lived when Napuri's cold eyes locked on both their faces, darting back and forth. "For now, I have something a little more entertaining."

He left again, moving this time further back into the enclosure. He stepped past the dog kennel where Tank was lurking. JJ looked at Reid, eyes wide.

"What's he doing?"

Reid leaned forward, straining to see through the dark. The dim overhead bulb only illuminated a small section of the basement. "Don't know," he said slowly, sounding regretful. "I can't see."

"Don't worry about that," Alex said as he returned. "I'm back. And I'm sure you're so eager to meet your new friend." He stepped forward to stand in front of them. He was wearing thick, elbow-length gloves on both hands.

And coiled between them was a massive snake.

"This here's my prize," Napuri said proudly, holding the creature up. The animal curved around its flexible neck until it's tapered snout was pointed at them, yellow eyes wide and dark pupils slitted like discs. "He doesn't have a name yet, but he doesn't really need one. He's a yellow-jawed tommygoff, more commonly known up here as a _fer-de-lance_."

He set the brown and yellow snake on the ground, gently, and backed away immediately. The animal twisted its long body, slithering in a waving pattern against the concrete. It moved toward JJ and Reid, curious about the new arrivals. JJ pressed her back against the wall, eyes wide. Reid watched the animal through narrowed eyes, trying to gather any information he knew about the snake.

"I'll leave you three to play," Alex said shortly, retreating once more. The door slammed and locked behind him and JJ reached out slowly to touch Reid's shoulder. The young profiler flicked his eyes over to look at her, but otherwise didn't move.

"I'm getting sick of this routine, Reid," she murmured, "coming down here, doing something then leaving immediately. It's like he wants to hurt us but doesn't want to witness it."

"It's not that," Reid countered slowly, "he doesn't want to be at risk. As much as he hates to admit it, the snake- and us- are a danger to him too."

The animal had stopped now and was lying in loose coils nearly ten feet away. It watched them, unmoving aside from the forked tongue that occasionally flicked over its nose.

JJ frowned. "Have you noticed-"

"He seems to like animals," Reid finished, nodding fractionally. "So far he's used a big dog and a snake against us. Maybe he's some sort of animal handler. Like a zoo worker, or a vet."

The snake flicked its tail and JJ tightened her grip on Reid's shoulder. "Think about that later, what do you know about the snake?"

Reid swallowed harshly, trying to lean back without moving too suddenly. The snake's cold eyes watched them both. "Yellow-jawed tommygoff… fer-de-lance. It's a somewhat exotic snake considering the other choices he could've found closer to here, which makes me think he might've gotten the animal illegally or from another state."

"Okay," JJ replied evenly, "and what does this mean for us?"

"Oh, that. It moves impossibly fast; when it's ready to strike it lifts its head and neck off the ground and curves it- but rarely can it be seen striking because of the speed. The venom is powerful and causes symptoms that are both quick to appear and slow to act."

"And those symptoms would be?"

"Fever, nausea, swelling, bleeding of the nose and gums, and severe gastrointestinal internal bleeding. If it's left untreated for too long, necrosis will appear in the victim." His replies were rapidfire, and she felt herself wondering when he'd ever found the time to read anything about snakes.

"What's that last one?" Her tone was becoming strained. _Internal bleeding. Sickness. _

"Necrosis… probably the one most people fear above the other symptoms. The flesh, tissue, muscle, and bone of the affected area literally rot. The skin turns anywhere from a gray-green to black and peels, the muscle and flesh rots and falls off—"

"_Reid, _do you have to be so graphic?" JJ winced, looking sick at the thought. _Rotting flesh, skin blackened then gone, tissue decaying and- _

He mumbled and apology but she barely heard. He attention was focused on the snake as it lurched forward inquisitively. JJ glued herself against Reid's back, peering around his right side to see. If he minded her body smashed against his, he didn't comment, but she felt his weight shift when the snake began moving toward them again.

When it was only a few feet away it lifted its triangular head from the ground, nosing forward curiously. Reid tried to lean back, but the animal nudged its snout against his knee. He shifted in alarm, and JJ moved back slowly, slipping her hand into his and tugging. The snake arched further and JJ jerked in alarm, making Reid jump in surprise with her. He threw out a hand to push her back.

The tammygoff struck with such deadly precision and speed, it caused both of them to cry out in stunned disbelief. Their cries were more of surprise than of the sharp pain. The snake sunk its fangs into Reid's hand and was attached, the young profiler blinking in surprise as he watched it, but then the facts came slamming into his head and without another thought he grabbed the body of the animal with his free hand, tearing it free and throwing it down. He stumbled back into JJ and the blonde pushed him to the floor.

"God, oh my god," She was sobbing without the tears, too shocked to react properly. Reid looked stunned, but he came into focus and began waving his good hand frantically.

"Behind you, JJ, _behind you!"_

JJ whirled in time to see the smooth head coming at her. The teeth nicked her knee but Reid lashed out and kicked it away. The animal recoiled, hissing. JJ noted the line of blood coming from the cuts with alarm and a sickening sense of despair.

"Enough, enough," Alex shouted, clambering down the stairs to scoop up the hissing animal. It curled its head around and bit at his arms, but they were protected by the gloves. He moved to put the snake away and returned shortly after, taking off his gloves and setting them down near the base of the stairs.

"Sorry about that," he said lightly. "Didn't think he'd bite. They aren't supposed to unless provoked." He sounded displeased, but not concerned. He frowned irately. "I guess I'll have to get that anti-venom for you. You can wait a while, can't you?"

They expected him to leave again, but instead he stepped forward. "Now that things appear to be going downhill, I'd best get a move on." He shrugged his tshirt off and sauntered toward them, his eyes on JJ. They roved over her lithe body to take in all the curves and every detail of her form. She shifted uncomfortably, eyes flicking from Reid to Alex, and back again. Back and forth, until Alex was in front of them. He leaned down over JJ, dragging a hand across her jaw. Reid strained against the shackle, glaring hotly.

"I think it's time, my dear," Alex cooed, starting to unbutton the blonde agents' blouse. Her breathing became strained, but she knew that fighting him would only get her and Reid hurt. He slipped off her shirt and she squeezed her eyes shut, naked aside from her bra from the waist up. Napuri made quick word of her skirt, then started on her underwear.

She was sobbing without the tears under her breath, stressed and unsure of what to do. Naked in front of a violent unsub and with a close friend and partner watching. Reid tugged viciously at his bindings, desperate.

"Stop, please, don't do this to her," The young profiler knew it was useless. But he couldn't sit by and do nothing. He strained to get to his feet but his vision was swimming. He lurched half-up, throwing his shoulder into Alex's.

Scowling, Alex shoved Reid away, ripping a short-bladed hunting dagger from his hip.

"Tell me, profiler, since you're so smart… am I going to do it?" Alex had his teeth bared, blue eyes wild. He looked more animal than human.

"Yes," Reid nearly whispered, and he hissed in shock when Napuri plunged the blade into his exposed torso. He tore it loose, and stabbed again. Reid groaned, throwing his elbow out violently into Alex's side, nearly grinning when he heard bone crack. Napuri cried out and snarled, reaching out to twist the blade and reveling at Reid's soft moans. JJ cried, hitting and kicking Alex as hard as he could, but his heavy body was still almost entirely on top of her.

"Quiet down, profiler," he snapped at the now silent Reid. The younger agent watched JJ- only her face, she noted thankfully- with murky hazel eyes, but he looked so afraid. Not for him, but for her.

Confident that things were settled, Alex turned his attention back to JJ. He finished undressing himself and her, then he straddled her. She twisted and pushed, but to no avail. It wasn't long before he was taking advantage of the young woman, and she screamed and cried in desperation, fear, pain, and ultimately, sadness. She'd never known what her job could bring. They saw it every day in others, but she found the entire situation just so _sad. _That she ended up here while on a mission to save people from this very fate.

Reid had at first tried to help, but with labored breaths and snake venom assaulting him, it wasn't long until his body gave up… long before his mind did. Alex assured her that the limp agent was already gone, and JJ had sobbed harder, mourning the loss of her friend, her partner. Her_ Spence._

It had seemed like forever until Alex had finished with her, and he pushed off and gathered his clothes, leaving without a word. Without any indication of when he'd be back.

Shivering, nude, and scared, JJ moved over to Reid's unmoving form. She reached out to touch his skin, brushing her fingers across his cheek. She winced, sitting up straighter when she felt warm breath ghost over her skin from his slightly parted lips.

"Spence?" she tried, her voice high pitched. He grimaced. _Alive, _She thought desperately, slipping her hand into his and squeezing. _That son of a bitch lied to me._

He roused after a few minutes of trying, looking into her face with startlingly clear eyes.

"I thought you were dead, idiot," she said immediately.

"Pretending," he replied breathily. "JJ you're… you're…"

She blinked, and her eyes went wide. She leaned back and tore her hand from his, moving to cover herself. She'd forgotten about her nudity. Her eyes watered.

"I… he threw my clothes way over there, I couldn't…"

Reid sat up, after much trying, and slipped off his jacket. It had been unzipped, and spared from most of his blood. He grimaced. "Not much, kinda bloody… but it's better than nothing.

JJ draped it over her and frowned. "Thanks, Spence."

They were both so traumatized, and JJ was nearly wheezing with anxiety. Reid looked at her, his dark eyes concerned.

"How can we fix it?" She asked quickly, looking at the bite just above her knee. It was more of a scrape.

"Don't worry too much," Reid said gently, and she distantly wondered why he sounded so calm. "The fangs didn't puncture. I doubt he got any venom in."

"He sprayed it," she replied, finally looking at him with watery blue eyes. "I felt it."

Reid rubbed the thumb of his good hand over her gash and she winced, but he shook his head. "Dry. It might have hit you somewhere else but you should be okay if you don't have any other open wounds. If it did get you, I couldn't have been much…"

"God, what about you?"

He instinctively wedged his injured hand under his hip, but JJ grabbed his wrist to see it. She flinched when she saw the two punctures; they looked deep, but clean.

"Don't worry," he repeated, his voice breathy. "He won't let us die. Not yet."

"But… but…" She pressed her free hand against his abdomen and he cried out. Her eyes were red and watery as she looked at him. She kept her hand over his stomach, keeping pressure on the stab wounds.

"Don't worry," he repeated, and she felt consciousness leaving him. He was tired, so tired.

She blinked back tears and rested her cheek against his shoulder.

All she could think about was what was to come.

* * *

**Well that took a long time. **

**Sorry about the wait, peoples. I actually cut out a huge chunk at the end of this 'cause it was better for starting a new chapter.**

**I really need to kick my ass into gear and get to work with this story… but fear not! School's out in like 3 weeks, then I will literally have all the time in the world. XD**

**Please read, enjoy and review, foshizzle. **

**Til all are one, **

**Sharky**


	6. Chapter 5

**This took forever. I was supposed to have this up a few days ago but I spent over 7 hours in line for the apple store. iPhone 4, yay. & I've been working ever since.**

**Anyway, here you go guys. Reviews inspire me to go faster, honestly, without them I probably would've given up by now. C: **

**

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**_**Ashes of Our Lives – Chapter 5**_

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The team regrouped in the lobby of the hotel at nine am sharp. They straggled in slowly to see Hotch on the phone, and the unit chief ended the call briskly. At their curious looks, he elaborated.

"That was a call from one of the bartenders from the bar," he said slowly. "Someone came in and said they'd seen a car leave from behind the building; a silver lexus."

"That's something," Morgan replied hurriedly, one hand fiddling idly with his belt. "Have you told Garcia?"

"No," Hotch replied evenly, "but we probably should. You can call her on the way to the station, let's go."

They made their way to the cars and split, heading toward the police station. Morgan slipped into the passenger seat beside Hotch and pulled out his cell phone, dialing the familiar number. She answered on the first ring.

"_Garcia." _

Derek blinked. "That's it?"

"_Yeah, well, you know how I get, sugar. I just don't feel so happy right now. Do you have anything for me?" _

"Always on top of things, mama. Of course I do. Whoever snagged JJ and Reid was driving a silver lexus. Newer model. Someone saw it leaving in a hurry from behind the bar, but that's all we have."

"_Newer model? I'll look for recent sales or rentals, but it's a stretch, honey. Do your best to get me more to work from, okay? I'll call when I get something." _

"Thanks," Morgan replied softly, but she'd already hung up. He stared gloomily at the phone, unaware as Hotch's dark eyes glanced over his frame once before returning to the road.

The four remaining team members met up again in the police station, and every one of them looked worn and tired. Hotch shook his head wearily.

"Look," he started, commanding their attention. "I know you're tired, but we have to keep pushing this. Not only to catch the unsub, but to rescue Reid and JJ too. Now Morgan, you and Prentiss go talk to the witness who gave us the description of the car. The sheriff said she'd be in here. Rossi and I will review what we have and talk to Garcia."

Derek and Emily exchanged glances, but obeyed and took off toward interrogation.

"Do you really think we'll find anything?" Emily asked gloomily, glancing at Morgan with an almost sad expression. "I'm worried for them. JJ isn't meant for this kind of field work… it's just not what she's been trained to do. And Reid's so emotionally fragile, especially after…" she paused, nearly biting her lip, "… last time, you know."

"Reid was traumatized after Georgia," Morgan replied simply, "but he held up and made it through. He can do it again, and he's scrawny, but he's a tough kid. He won't let anything happen to JJ. We'll get them both back Prentiss."

He knew he was trying to convince himself as well as her.

"Lookin' for your witness?" The sheriff asked, coming up behind them. "He's in room three."

"Thanks," Emily replied, making way for the room already. "You want this or should I take it?"

"Go ahead," Morgan sighed, sinking into a chair outside the one-way glass. He could see in just fine.

Emily sauntered into the room and sat down across from the woman. She appeared to be in her mid-forties, and her face was marred by a permanent worried frown.

Emily glanced at the paper on the desk. "So, Mrs. Sanders," she started, "you say you saw a car leave the bar a few nights ago."

"That's right," the older woman replied immediately. "I hear the feds were looking for anything suspicious around that area. I've been going to that bar for years, know all the workers. They're the only ones that get to park behind the building and none of them had a car as nice as that lexus was. It was just out of place."

"Could you see anyone inside?" Emily asked, not daring to let her eyes flicker to the glass. She wanted to make sure Derek was paying attention.

"There were some people in the back," Mrs. Sanders replied after a moment, "one driver and at least two, maybe three, in the back seat. They left pretty quick."

"Did you see where they went?"

"They left the lot pretty quick and headed out toward Aliso."

Emily stood. "Is that all you remember?" when the woman nodded, Prentiss felt a relieved sigh threatening to escape. "Thank you, Mrs. Sanders, you've been very helpful."

Prentiss noticed Morgan's mood as soon as she exited the room. Her partner was absolutely joyous. "We have something, finally." He ripped his phone from his pocket just as it started buzzing.

Emily blinked. "Good timing."

"Hey baby doll, whatcha got?" Morgan asked, sounding more upbeat than he had in days. Garcia sounded relieved when she spoke.

"_Well, I have a few things for you sweetness. First, there were a few new silver lexus' sold in the area in the past six months. However, only one was purchased by a local who still lives in the area." _

"Do you have a name?"

"_Who do you think I am?"_ She replied, sounding offended. _"Of course I do. The guy you want is Keith Greene. Now go get him, his work location- 'cause that's where he should be- is being sent to your phone." _

"Thank's Garcia, you're an angel." Morgan's tone was affectionate enough to make Emily smile.

"_I know. Now go get our sweetheart's back and bring them home." _

_

* * *

_

Alex left them down there for what seemed like hours this time.

However, Reid didn't know how much time was passing them by; there was no natural light, no clocks, _nothing _to implicate how long they'd been living in the hell in which they were still enclosed.

The young profiler had been drifting in and out of fevered consciousness, each time feeling sick and anxious and desperately reassured by the feel of JJ's cheek against his shoulder and the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. She was asleep; and he was glad for it. He shivered despite the warm, musty air of the basement.

He glanced at his hand and noticed the grayish hue his skin was taking on, all the way up to his elbow. The bite marks were swollen, very slightly, and oozing clear fluid. He tried not to think about it, but the headache that was stabbing daggers into his eyes and the burning agony across his torso made it hard to think of anything else but the cause of his ailments.

He coughed, and felt trickles of warm fluid seep from his mouth and nose. Despite this, the poison wasn't the main cause of his concerns. The deep stabs to his torso had stopped bleeding long ago, but he knew that trauma could be numb for a long time before it was noticed. Considering the fact that he was still breathing, he knew the blade had missed anything important; something he was sure Alex had done on purpose. Just because he couldn't yet feel it, didn't mean all was well. He grimaced.

JJ roused when the racking cough jolted Reid's body against her side. She blinked multiple times, clearing her vision. The liaison groaned faintly, tilting her head up to look at him. He glanced down at the same time and he tried to smile. JJ sat up and grimaced, reaching out to smudge the blood from his face with her thumbs.

"How much more of this?" She implored quietly, glancing at the staircase. She felt Reid tremble once under her touch, but when she looked back at him he was still, watching her dazedly.

"It's been too long to try anything now," he replied. "He'll come back soon. Next time he leaves, I'll have something thought up by then."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, glancing around the room. The wall with the instruments had several handsaws- but they were too far out of reach.

"We have to make him give us a tool," Reid spoke up suddenly, drawing JJ's attention again. "If we can get him to leave a handsaw in reach, we can use it to cut through the chains."

The blonde shook her head. "Will that be a good idea? We'd have to get him to use it on-"

Reid cut her off, shushing her urgently. Alex threw the door open aggressively and stalked down, looking irritated.

"Alright," he began sharply, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "Someone tipped your pals off about my car- they saw it leaving the bar. So I have to get rid of it, and there's a slight chance we'll have to relocate."

JJ shook her head, trying to sound calm, but she huddled under Reid's coat shyly. "We can't…"

She looked at Reid, slumped back against the wall and watching Napuri quietly, his expression grim. JJ frowned. "He'll die if we move… it'll… circulate the poison."

Alex shrugged. "Not my problem. I'm having an acquaintance dump the car in a little bit, so, sorry if that got your hopes up but if they find this place, we won't be around to see it."

_They'll find you,_ JJ wanted so badly to say, because she knew they would. She also knew from experience that putting Alexander Napuri down would do harm to both her and her colleague.

"Anyway," Alex murmured almost lazily, "I have something for you."

He didn't specify before he moved off again, shuffling through the junk collected at the far side of the enclosure. JJ nudged Reid's shoulder and he looked at her, frowning.

"The car," she hissed, "can they track it?"

"I'm sure they can," Reid replied softly. "Garcia can find it, find out who owns it and is connected to the owner… they'll find something."

"But if he knows they're coming-"

"He'll kill us first. We have to make him believe that he's right, and that he's smarter than us. It'll keep us alive longer because he likes to draw out the torture."

"What are you guys mumbling about?" Alex snapped, and they shut up as he came back with a box. He set it down and kneeled in front of them, opening it. It looked like a very high-tech first-aid kit.

"Can't let you bleed out, can I?" He grunted, "one wrong move and you'll rip open like gutted animal."

He pulled several items from the box, setting them down neatly on the floor. Reid and JJ grimaced; the tools were rusted and didn't look clean.

Alex sat up straighter, and scooted closer. "Before I fix you up, I have a little something for you, too. Actually, it's more for the medical examiner to find for your friends."

He held up a small metal sheet, maybe an inch tall and two inches long. The edges were sharp. There were words engraved on it, but neither agent had a chance to read it before he pressed it into one of the open gashes in Reid's torso. He flinched violently but didn't make a sound, wincing again when JJ grabbed his elbow.

Alex dug his fingers into the wound, pushing the metal as deep as he could. Reid finally hissed and snapped, kicking the older man between the legs. JJ's jaw nearly dropped and Reid blinked in self-astonishment while Alex leapt backward, howling.

"That was a _really _bad move," Napuri wheezed, lunging to his feet. He staggered toward them and Reid forced himself upright as well. JJ tugged at his pant leg but he ignored her and the two males faced each other. Reid watching calmly, if not disjointedly, and Alex glaring hard daggers.

"I should just kill you now," he hissed, "long and slow and painful, like a cat killing a bird. I could rip you open real good and pull out your insides, right in front of your lady friend. Would you like that? I could cut out your eyes and pull out your nails, burn you or throw you to the sharks, or-"

He cut himself off when a phone started ringing. Alex blinked, and pulled the cell from his pocket, glancing at the ID before glaring back at the agents. "I need to go; but don't worry, we'll hang out some more when I get back."

He moved to leave, but paused by the steps. He gathered the wad of fabric from the floor and turned.

"Cover yourself up properly, girl," he hissed, tossing JJ's clothes toward her. "Damn whore."

He left then, leaving the two again in darkness. Reid turned away respectfully while JJ nearly threw herself into her dirty clothes. She kept his jacket, hugging it tight like a blanket. She felt tears welling again, and she pressed her face into the warm fabric that smelled like pine, just like Reid did.

She stayed like that until Reid gave a soft grunt of pain, and she jerked up to look at him with wide blue eyes. "Reid? What are you doing?"

"We have to get loose," he wheezed, digging his nails into his ankle. He'd broken the skin, and was clawing at the limb. "I can slip out if I can get my foot lubricated enough. The shackles a little big, guess they aren't meant for emaciated kids."

He sounded bitter, and JJ winced at the wording; it was how Morgan sometimes described him. "Please don't hurt yourself," she asked him softly.

"Too late," he murmured, continuing to cut into himself. JJ turned away, unable to watch. When he'd bloodied himself enough, he started pulling at the bindings. The hard metal dug in, cutting through his skin even deeper. It hurt, but it served its purpose.

JJ tried to block out his gasps of exertion and pain, until he tapped her shoulder. She glanced up to see him sitting with outstretched legs.

Outstretched, _unbound_ legs.

"You did it," she said simply, her tone and expression surprised. She frowned when Reid pushed himself up, swaying. He made toward the ominous wall, one hand against the concrete side for support. He grabbed a handsaw from the assortment and returned, nearly collapsing beside JJ.

"Let me see," he murmured, and she stretched out her shackled leg, resting it in his lap. He started working on the chain with the saw.

"Does this seem… too easy?" she asked quietly after a while. The chain snapped and Reid stumbled to his feet again. She rose beside him, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"Yes," he said, sounding strained. "But we can think about it later, for now, let's go before he comes back."

They leaned on each other and made their way up the stairs awkwardly. JJ touched the door handle and found the lock broken and the door jammed.

"Lock's broken so he forced the door shut," she said.

"Care to go Morgan-status and fix this problem?" Reid asked, and she couldn't help but smile.

"One, two, _three." _They kicked the wood door and it flew open, seriously startling the two people on the other side.

A boy and an older woman sat at a maple table, staring back at the two wounded agents in shock.

"What the hell?" The woman cried, getting to her feet. The boy, no older than nineteen, stood as well, green eyes wide.

"Keith, go get the phone," the woman said, staring at Reid and JJ in shock and anger. "Who are you, and how'd you get down there? Are you another one of Alex's projects? She stalked out of the room and Reid pulled away from JJ, doing a quick sweep and finding a pile of belongings on the kitchen counter, behind a breadbox.

"Hey," he coughed, and JJ padded over to him quickly. Their phones and IDs were there. JJ grabbed them, and Reid pointed to a rack on the wall.

"Car keys," he said, "grab some."

JJ pulled two sets of keys from the rack and handed them to him.

"Let's go," she said urgently, and they limped for the front of the apartment as fast as they could. They heard someone approaching.

Reid threw open the front door and the two found themselves facing real, dying sunlight for the first time in days. They were facing the street, and the curb was lined with cars. Reid hit the unlock button on one of the key-sets until a BMW up the street a little ways beeped. They made for it just as the woman jogged outside after them.

She was holding a pistol, but she hid it quickly when she saw that they were already exposed. There weren't many people out, but a gunshot would definitely be heard. She started after them, cursing and breaking into a run.

JJ threw herself into the passenger side as Reid slammed his hand down on the lock. He didn't bother with a seatbelt and neither did he, his hand fumbled clumsily with the ignition, and JJ felt a sick sense of dread as the woman sprinted toward them, her face alit with fury.

"_Reid!" _She shrieked, the woman threw herself against JJ's window, and the blonde tried not to scream, pushing herself away from the window and eyes growing wide when the pistol was drawn again and pressed against the glass.

She felt the thrum under her as the car roared to life, and Reid thrust the car into gear and peeled out onto the street. Shots rang out immediately, the woman having lost all sense of discretion. They scored against the navy paint, chipping it and shattering the rear windshield. JJ ducked, and Reid leaned against the window, flooring the vehicle.

They continued away from the house for a while before Reid relaxed on the gas, and as soon as he did the adrenaline seemed to wear out of him. He slumped back in the seat, looking drowsy.

"Stay awake Spence," JJ encouraged when she noticed. Her skin was glistening with sweat, and the rough trip had made her already sore body begin to throb agonizingly. She winced at the tearing pain between her legs, but she tried to ignore it.

He coughed a few times, thick, red fluid seeping from his mouth and nose again. But he just stared forward, almost zombie-like.

JJ frowned. "Maybe I could drive, Spence… you should relax."

The second she uttered the sentence, a car roared up behind them. She glanced in the rearview mirror and her heart nearly stopped.

It was a silver lexus.

"Kick it up, Reid," she shouted suddenly. Instead of speeding, the car slowed and veered to the left, just slightly. She looked over to see Reid slumped against the window. Completely out of it.

She lunged over the center consol without a second thought, wedging herself between his long legs. She ignored the awkward proximity and leaned forward, pressing her foot over his on the gas.

Alex's lexus was nearly touching bumpers with theirs, but the BMW shot forward, and JJ struggled to keep her awkward control of the vehicle. She dimly realized somewhere that this was one of her first car chases, and it was definitely something she never wanted to do again. She wasn't sure if she was more concerned with her colleague passed out behind her, or of their torturous captor that was tailing them so closely.

Her ponderings were cut short when the lexus suddenly zipped up next to them, and slammed them from the side. The BMW flipped, landing roughly on the roof. JJ's head hit Reid's and they both yelped, the latter coming around.

The pair found themselves suspended upside down, the window beside them shattered. All they could see was a pair of upside down feet stalking toward them purposefully.

They knew they belonged to Alexander Napuri.

* * *

**Stupid ending. **

**Oh well. Working on next chapter, sorry for the wait guys. /: Wish I had more time for writing. On the upside, I have an entire plot laid out for my next CM fic. It's Garcia/Reid centered, but not pairing-wise. After that, I'm going to do a transformers fic. I've been relapsing into that fandom recently. I love you, Optimus Prime. You are my Reid of the cartoon world. **

**I love you all~ **

**Till all are one, **

**Sharky.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Writing this at the boyfriend's house. He is veeeeryyy distracting. **

**Anyone still reading this? I can't tell, a lot of my "regulars" didn't review last chapter. :C SADNESS. **

**Things heat up here, sorry about all the medical gunk but it is, unfortunately, quite necessary.**

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_**Ashes of Our Lives – Chapter 6**_

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The two suburban's sped along the street, paying no mind to the speed limit signs. They were moving too fast to read them anyway.

Hotch was stony as he floored the vehicle toward their destination. He followed Morgan into the parking lot, skirting around other cars and trucks until coming to a crooked halt between two spaces. He and Rossi slipped from the car and moved to meet Prentiss and Morgan.

"Let's move," Hotch stated firmly, "and remember, there are children here. No need to show weapons unless it's absolutely necessary."

The entire team moved toward the entrance of the facility with seamless purpose, and the attendant looked up when suddenly there were four FBI badges smashed against the glass in front of him.

"We're looking for Keith Greene," Hotch said.

The attendant blinked. "Keith took off early today. Come to think of it, his dad left a little bit ago, off early too."

"Dad?" Emily asked, dark brows knitting together. "What's his name?"

"Uh," The boy looked down, flipping through a binder. "Alex. Alexander Napuri."

"Can you get us an address?" Morgan questioned urgently. Shrugging one shoulder, the kid relayed their unsub's home address.

"Let's go," Hotch snapped, and they made their way back to the cars. The attendant stared after them in bewilderment as they stalked away without further explanation.

"Keith Greene… Alex Napuri," Morgan murmured once he and Prentiss were again situated in the SUV. "We've got this son of a bitch, _finally._"

"Something about this case," Emily said softly, looking up ahead at Hotch and Rossi's car, speeding ahead of them toward the apartment complex, "just doesn't seem right. I have a feeling… a bad feeling."

Morgan frowned. "Don't say that, we've got this guy… we're gonna get our friends back."

"And… and if we don't…"

Derek's eyes were hard as marble. "Then we make him pay."

* * *

Napuri's boot-clad feet swept closer to the overturned BMW, and JJ began to squirm, too panicked to react to Reid's pained moans beneath her. When Alex stopped and began to kneel, JJ screamed, twisting in a desperate attempt to get away. She felt Reid's hands on her shoulders and she jerked, falling from the seat completely and ending up draped across the roof of the car. Reid squirmed, thrashing in the upside-down car-seat until he toppled over too.

They were a tangle of limbs and wide, panicked eyes when Alex knelt low to the ground and bent to look inside the overturned car, his worn face twisted in a soft grin.

"There you are," he said slowly, reaching in with both hands. He grabbed fistfuls of blonde hair and pulled. JJ yelped, clawing at his wrists but Alex paid no mind, standing halfway to drag the liaison from the shattered car window. Reid turned onto his torn abdomen, grunting in pain and lashing out to grip JJ's ankle. Alex yanked her free and tossed her onto the pavement, moving to pull Reid from the car next.

While he was busy, JJ scrambled upright, eyes wide. Freedom was so close, all she had to do was run. But she wouldn't leave Reid. Instead, stricken blue eyes swept the area until they settled on Napuri's idling lexus. She backed toward it slowly, eyes locked on Alex as he cursed at a very lively Reid. The young agent fought back furiously as his captor dragged him from the car, and JJ breathed a relieved sigh when she saw him land a good punch right under their tormentor's eye.

Having escaped unnoticed, she slipped into the driver's side of the car, but instead of driving it, she rummaged around the junk strewn about the vehicle in search of a weapon. She found a hunting knife under the passenger seat, and she pulled it from the leather holster and gripped it tightly in her right hand. Mouth set in a grim line, she left the car and jogged toward Alex, where he leaned over Reid.

JJ frowned; her partner was flat on his back, and his expression was upset. Clear hazel eyes rolled over to meet hers, and he noticed her approach. He looked back at Napuri immediately as not to give JJ away, but his struggles didn't cease. The blonde froze when Alex strained upward, only to throw his weight down on Reid's side. The young agent cried out, prompting JJ into quick action.

"You're going to regret trying to get away," Alex hissed, raising a hand. He didn't have a chance to strike. Reid kicked out with his left leg, nailing the unsub in the crotch, _again_. The reaction was the same. Alex recoiled with a wild howl and Reid rolled onto his opposite side, pushing himself upright with his good hand.

JJ took the chance and staggered forward, trying to look fierce. Alex whirled around, his face ghost-white and pain stricken. He lashed out with one hand but JJ ducked around him, slashing the blade and cutting a thin line in their attacker's palm. However, she was inexperienced with the weapon and in one fluid move he'd knocked it from her grip.

He bared his teeth in wild anger, raising a fist to hit her but without warning, he froze. Blinking in surprise, JJ stood up straighter and looked behind Alex. Her tormentor turned around as well.

Though it was nearing dusk and there was nobody outside, a man now stood on the sidewalk holding a cell phone and approaching them quickly. Reid lay crumpled a few feet from him, and JJ assumed he'd staggered off to ask the man for help when he'd seen him.

"What's going on over here?" The man cried, seeing the smashed BMW and the struggling woman. "I had that guy come up to me rambling about the FBI and a suspect or something- and he took me over here and you're about to beat that woman- what the hell, man!"

Alex glared hatefully but saw no other option. When the man finally got close enough to reach out and touch JJ, Alex backhanded her violently, throwing the young woman to the ground.

"Hey," the civilian started, but Alex was already back in his car and driving away. The man struggled to memorize the plates before he knelt down beside JJ.

"You okay, miss?" He asked after a moment. "My name's Marcus. I called 911 for you and your friend, ambulances are on the way."

"Spence," JJ moaned, not trying to sit up, "need to help…"

Marcus glanced to where the other agent was sprawled limp on his left side, not far away. "He ran for me, but collapsed… he started bleeding pretty bad but the paramedics will be able to fix him up."

JJ stuggled, shrugging out of the oversized jacket she was wearing. "It's his," she breathed, "give it… back…"

He could see that she was losing consciousness, so he bit his lip and took the coat, draping it over one arm and hooking his arms under her. He couldn't leave the woman in the middle of the street.

He set her down again next to her colleague and he knelt down, pressing the jacket over the male agents' badly bleeding torso. He stayed for a few minutes until the sirens started to approach.

He waved his arms until the drivers noticed, and the ambulances stopped. Medics exited the vehicles and made their way over.

One woman gave JJ a rapid check over, face marred by a frown. "She's got a concussion for certain. She's dirty and looks malnourished, a few visible signs of assault but I can't be sure about sexual assault until we run a rape kit. Cuts and gashes all over and definite signs of trauma and shock. What do you have, Paul?"

Another man looked up from beside Reid. "Temperature, unsure of the cause but poison is probably a safe bet. There are bite wounds and the skin around the area is gray." He gestured to Reid's abdomen, "stab wounds and from what I can tell, gastrointestinal bleeding."

"We're ready to take them back," another called from the back of one of the cars.

"Let's take them down then," The female paramedic said as her team helped her load both patients onto stretchers. They were taken in quickly but Paul felt his wrist grabbed and he turned to look Marcus in the eye.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked, and Paul smiled.

"You did enough by calling and staying with them. If what you said you saw on the phone was true, you probably saved their lives."

With that, Paul climbed into the ambulance and left, leaving a dumbfounded Marcus left to wander home and wonder what hell he'd witnessed that day.

* * *

Consciousness returned to her quickly enough, though JJ felt the fog being lifted from her mind sluggishly. The first thing she was aware of was the hot overhead lights that seemed to become brighter the longer she was awake. Squinting, she turned her head harshly and jerked in surprise at the startling feel of someone grabbing her shoulders.

Her thoughts went to Alex, and she began struggling at the thought of his hands on her again, groping her chest and slipping below the line of her skirt, violating her where he had no right to touch her. She could remember the feel of his nails dragging lines into her skin, remembered the smell of their mingled sweat and the hot, stale heat of his breath on her throat.

But most of all, she remembered the tears tracing hot tracks on her face and the ripping pain as he violated her in the worst way. She cried out and tried to push the person away.

"Hey, hey, I'm trying to help."

The voice was female, and JJ relaxed immediately. "Emily?" she wheezed, hoping against hope that her thoughts were true, and that her dark-haired friend really was there.

"No, not Emily," the voice said again, and JJ felt her heart sink. "My name's Melissa. I'm a paramedic. You were rescued from an attack almost an hour ago, and we're in the hospital. We just got you checked in so I'm going to hand you over to the nurses now, is that alright?"

She waited patiently for JJ to bring herself around enough to understand.

"Hos… hospital? Then… then- we're not with him anymore?"

"With that man? No, we don't know where he went but you're safe now."

"What about Reid?" JJ's voice rose in volume and her blue eyes were now wide with apprehension. "Is he okay?"

Melissa's kind face was sad. "I don't know yet, honey. But you'll know as soon as the doctor's know anything. I made sure to let staff know that you and him were together."

JJ was too tired to blush at the odd thought of her and Reid being 'together' at anything. But, despite all the awkward moments they'd shared, he'd been a great comfort to her throughout the entire ordeal.

"You have to call… call them." She was so, so tired.

"Your next of kin will be notified, honey."

"No," JJ said, trying to bring herself around again. She felt the edges of awareness slipping again. "My boss, please, you have to call him… Reid and I are FBI- we're here… murder case. Please, we've been hoping he and the team would find us… you have to call Hotch- Hotchner..."

Melissa's features slackened in shock but the young blonde was out cold again before she could reply. She stood and made her way out of the hospital room and into the corridor where she saw Paul.

"Hey," she called softly, "how's the other kid?"

The older man frowned. "He wasn't well when we brought him in but I'm hoping the doctor's can save him. He didn't seem too far gone, just… close, you know?"

"Any time we have to save someone," Melissa said darkly, "it's too close. Anyway- my girl said she and your kid were FBI and that we needed to call their boss because he's been looking for them."

Paul nodded his head, handing his partner a folded wallet. Melissa opened it and blinked in surprise at the federal ID in her hand. The young woman she'd just spoken too smiled at her from a small photo, one Melissa assumed had been taken not too long ago. The agent looked healthy, and her smile brought a glow to her eyes that made the medic believe she was a genuinely good person.

"FBI, yeah. I picked these badges up off the guy. Names are Spencer Reid and Jennifer Jareau."

"Good," Melissa replied. "She mentioned a name to me- her boss, Hotchner, I think she said."

"Aaron Hotchner?" l

"Yeah, did yours say the same?"

"Well, that, and that the guy is listed as power of attorney for my kid. I looked it up after I dropped him off in the surgical bay."

"Kiddo must not have family, then."

"Guess not," Paul agreed, "but enough snooping on their lives, let's get this situation ironed out."

* * *

At first, it had been numb.

The sensation of the cold, hard pavement under his body had disappeared and he had no sensory feelings whatsoever. Mercifully, all traces of pain had dispersed.

Until touch returned. He could feel hands touching him, pressing into his damaged body and brushing back his hair. He felt fingertips on his cheekbones and pressure on his collar.

Taste and smell brought about only blood. The thick, metallic taste in his throat and the accompanying stench was all he noticed, only to be disrupted when fingers pushed up his chin and forced something into his mouth. He distantly felt his body twitch against the sensation, his mouth filled and throat clogged with whatever it was. He realized he was fighting it, but before long a liquid sort of calm washed through his very veins and the fight left him.

He had no idea what had happened, how long he'd been free of his captor or unconscious on the sidewalk. His mind was a hazy fog of poison and pain.

But she stood out, clear as diamond.

Through the agonized confusion of his mind, he could still see JJ's worried face, with wide blue eyes and mussed blonde hair.

It was comforting, and he couldn't wait to see her again to make sure she was still all right.

_Soon, _he groaned internally, _soon. _

_

* * *

_

"Dr. Grant, what's the status?" A pudgy nurse asked concernedly, lips pursed as she readied another IV line.

The older doctor looked up, mouth set in a hard frown. "Two small bites on the back of the hand. Going from that, I'm going to assume spider or snake venom."

"Poisoned?"

The doctor nodded mutely, tilting his patient's chin upward. "The poison is destroying his systems. We need to get an anti-venom but until I can find out what bit him, I can't do anything but try to fight the symptoms."

The nurse slipped the IV into the young man's wrist, taping it down. "Scans are showing severe internal bleeding," her tone was clipped.

"Lungs and viscera are hemorrhaging, the blood is seeping from his mouth and nose at a steady rate. I've no doubts that the bleeding will increase unless we can stop it soon."

"I can prep some clotting medication if you think it'll help," she replied quickly, handing her superior a syringe.

He emptied it into a vein in the young man's neck quickly, handing it back to his assistant. "Do that, then. And get me some alcohol swabs; I need to clean up the blood. It's getting everywhere." He lifted a thin plastic tube from a metal table to the side. He pulled at his patients' jaw, pressing the clear plastic into his mouth and easing it down into his throat with practiced ease.

"Are you prepping him for surgery?" The nurse asked in surprise, resting one hand on their charges' ruined abdomen.

"Preparing him, yes, but I'm going to try to avoid exploratory surgery if I can," Dr. Grant replied stiffly, "we need to bring him around and see if he can tell us what bit him."

"Looks like he's coming out of it anyway," the nurse replied when she noticed their patient beginning to stir. His young face was twisted in a pained grimace.

"Can you wake up for me, sweetie?" She asked, touching his cheek with one hand. Misty hazel eyes blinked, half-lidded. His pupils were dilated despite the bright overhead lights.

Dr. Grant leaned down. "Son, can you tell us what exactly bit you? On your hand, do you remember?"

The young profiler coughed, fluid tracing lazy paths from his mouth and nose. He murmured faintly, voice lost around the thin tubing obstructing his throat. Dr. Grant frowned, removing it quickly. It only made the coughing worse.

"Snake," he wheezed hoarsely after a moment of struggling to take deep breaths, "yellow-jawed… tommygoff… fer-de-lance… if untreated, _necrosis-"_

"Oh, that's enough honey," The nurse said quickly, patting the back of his good hand gently. He started to shift, as though trying to get upright, and Dr. Grant pressed a hand to his left shoulder.

"Don't move," he warned, "your right side was almost crushed and you're in no shape to be up. Lie down. Can you tell me your name?"

A few seconds passed, the patients' labored breaths being the only sound. "Spencer," he murmured finally, "Spencer… Reid. FBI- you have to call Hotch. Call him…"

"FBI?" The nurse asked, blinking.

"That's enough son, just try to relax now. We'll have you all fixed up as soon as we can."

The nurse stepped forward with a syringe, frowning when her young charge cringed away from it. "Don't worry sweetie, it'll help you sleep better… and then you won't feel the pain anymore." She administered the drug into the IV line, and the anesthesia worked quickly, putting Reid out in seconds.

"We'd better go call that man," The doctor said grimly, peeling off his gloves. "Get the surgical team in here. I need to have someone called about anti-venom for a fer-de-lance."

She watched him leave with a frown, turning to look back at the young man again; her gray eyes were sad, and she could only wonder what could've possibly happened to land the agents in the hospital in the shape they were in.

Whatever it was, she decided, had to have been true evil.

* * *

The team finally made it to Greene and Napuri's apartment only to find it empty.

"How can nobody be here?" Morgan growled, "there's evidence to suggest people have been here recently- but of course, now they're cleared out."

"They probably figured out we were coming and left," Rossi suggested grimly, eyeing the still lukewarm coffee cups on the table.

"I found a basement," Emily called after a moment, and the three males made their way to where she stood on the other side of the room, in front of a busted down door. It led downstairs, and the room was completely dark.

Weapons raised and flashlights poised, the team made their way downstairs with Hotch in the lead. He found a light-switch near the bottom of the steps and clicked it warily. The room illuminated after a few flickers from the one dying bulb.

The shock spread through the entire team at once, stilling them into stunned silence. There were bloodied shackles chained to the floor against the far back wall, another wall loaded with instruments and surgical tools. Some were scattered about the floor, stained with spatters of blood. Some of it was still drying.

On the other side of the room, a massive dog watched them from a kennel, pacing back and forth and growling threateningly.

"Oh, god," Emily whispered, edging closer to Hotch. "God. I don't even want to know what's further down there, behind the kennel."

Hotch was unreadable. "We'll have forensics look into it. We'll call the police and have them bring CSI. For now, we track Greene and Napuri." Before he could issue and order to move out, his cell phone started vibrating. He ripped it from his pocket and pressed _talk _without checking the ID.

"Hotchner," he nearly spat, turning back toward the stairs to begin marching upward. After a few seconds, he froze, leaving the team to exchange nervous glances behind his back. "You're sure it's them?"

Emily couldn't help the sick sense of dread that washed over her, and she felt Morgan's hand grip her should tightly. His eyes were fiery. Rossi moved up beside Hotch, glancing at the unit chief inquiringly.

"Yes, do what you can. We'll be there in fifteen minutes." He hung up the phone and turned to face his subordinates, who glared at him heatedly.

"Well?" Morgan demanded, trying not to show the desperate worry eating at his heart. Emily only stared with wide, black eyes and Rossi was frowning.

"They're down at Saddleback Hospital. Alive."

A desperate rush of relief washed over the four of them, and Hotch continued. "A man found them earlier fending off an attacker- a middle aged man who couldn't have been Keith Greene."

"Alex Napuri," Morgan snarled.

Hotchner nodded crisply. "The nurse said neither of them were in great shape, but they're holding off any major medical decisions until we get there, so let's go because I have no clue just what condition they're in."

The four of them made their way back into the house and onto the street, heading toward the two SUV's parked a little ways off.

"See?" Morgan asked Emily softly once they were alone in their suburban. He turned the ignition and the powerful vehicle roared to life. He eased it onto the street to follow Hotch and Rossi toward the hospital. "I told you we'd find them."

Emily brushed a hand through her dark hair, and her partner could tell she was still stressed. "Even so," she murmured, "what if we're still too late?"

"We won't be," Derek replied warmly, "be positive. They made it this far."

"It'll be good to see them," Prentiss admitted, "it's been a long week."

They settled into silence, comfortable for the first time in nearly two weeks. Things were only going to get better.

Hopefully.

* * *

**Holy hell I started out with major writer's block then this chapter grew into a massive demon that fed on my energy because now it's 3AM, I'm dog-tired and I had to cut off a lot of this because it was getting wayyyy too long. Oh, Garcia will be called next chapter. Don't freak out.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this despite all the plot-holes. D: I'm trying my best to get everything covered but I'm sure there are still some mistakes. I'm going to put JJ and Reid's time having been missing at around 2weeks- no, I didn't cover everything that went on when they were gone but that's what a sequel is for, right? **

**COUGH COUGH SEQUEL WHAT? COUGH. **

**I hope people are still reading this… reviews declined a LOT for the last chapter and I've been SO LONELY. TALK TO ME. **

**Til next time, loves, **

**Sharky**


	8. Chapter 7

**Guys, that was the best response ever. The comments you left from the last chapter, and how many of them, really made me feel awesome. :D I hope this speedy, lengthy update reels in a similar reaction~  
**

**In gratitude, here's a very early chapter seven. Did I post this fast enough for you? ;) **

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_**Ashes of Our Lives – Chapter 7**_

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The receptionist looked up in surprise when the four official-looking people stormed into the hospital, all of them appearing very businesslike.

Hotch held up his badge, ignoring the woman's startled jump.

"Aaron Hotchner, FBI," he said authoritatively, "we're looking for Spencer Reid and Jennifer Jareau." Straight to the point, as per usual.

She blinked, typing into her computer. "Miss Jareau is in trauma recovery, first floor. They're only allowing family in right now."

Hotch's eyes hardened, and the other three agents stared her down, almost brutally.

She faltered. "But, I suppose… you're the authorities."

"She's an agent as well," Hotch replied crisply, "we need to see her."

The receptionist nodded. "Room 322B. It's on the left."

"And Spencer?"

She typed again. "Surgical bay, upstairs on the third floor. Dr. Grant said he was going to wait for you to arrive but he couldn't hold off any longer and already started taking care of your friend… who I'm assuming is also FBI?"

Hotch pressed his mouth into a hard line, as though barely concealing anger. "Let us know when he's been moved to recovery. We'll be with agent Jareau."

He stalked away, and the others exchanged glances before moving to follow.

"I'm nervous," Emily said softly, "it's been almost two weeks… what if she looks different? What if she's, god forbid, disfigured? He could've cut off a hand or something-"

"Em," Morgan replied patiently, "I think they would've mentioned that. Calm down- she's gonna be so happy to see us, especially you. You're her _gal pal_- she's probably going to take comfort from you the most since you guys are close."

They made their way into the room, only to be met by a doctor at the door.

"You're not all family, are you?" She asked, frowning.

"FBI," Rossi supplied before Hotch could, sensing the unit chief's already simmering irritation. "We have clearance to visit our fellow agent."

The doctor stepped aside. "Don't stress her out any more than she already is," she said briskly, sweeping out of the room and leaving the agents alone with their colleague.

JJ was stretched out on the bed, her head turned away from them. She was covered from the waist down in a blanket, but they could see that she was wearing a pale gown that left much of her collar exposed. She looked thin. Her blonde hair was mussed, as though she hadn't brushed it in a while.

"JJ?" Emily called softly, earning a response. The blonde stirred in the bed, turning her head to look at them through bleary blue eyes.

"Emily?" She asked hoarsely, moving to sit up. "Oh, god, guys— am I dreaming?"

"No," Rossi said, smiling when Morgan and Prentiss moved to get closer to their rescued friend. "We're really here. You're safe now, finally."

The tired agent smiled, and Emily smiled back brightly, sinking into the chair at her friends' beside. Morgan reached out to touch JJ's hand, pulling back in surprise when his touch made her jerk violently. He blinked, a barely noticeable frown creeping onto his handsome face.

She looked at him in shock, unable to hide the light tremble that crept into her frame. "Derek… I'm sorry, I-"

"JJ, what did he do to you?" He asked her softly, brows knitted in a frown. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she replied quickly, "it's in the past now. What's done is done so let's not revisit it, okay?"

Hotch and Rossi exchanged glances, but Morgan only frowned deeper. "Okay… well, how are you feeling?"

Emily slipped her hand into JJ's, noting with no small amount of concern that she didn't flinch at her touch. But she had at Morgan's. Already, a suspicion was building in her mind. One that she desperately hoped wasn't true.

"Could be better," JJ murmured, sounding groggy. "My head's killing me and… well, I'm sore. All over. Not to mention the, um… stitches."

Emily squeezed her hand sympathetically.

JJ sat up straight suddenly, looking startled- like she'd remembered something that she'd forgotten.

"Reid," she started, "where is he? Is he alright?"

"We haven't seen him yet," Rossi said gently, "but as soon as we know how he's doing we'll let you know."

"The poison," JJ gasped, feeling drained. "It's _rotting _him…"

"_Poison?"_ Emily asked, "as in, chemical poison?"

"Snake… snake poison," The blonde replied drowsily, "can't remember the name… but the doctor needs to know, so he can help." She was tiring quickly, the small amount of talking having drained the little energy she'd had.

"Just get some rest, okay?" Emily comforted gently, "we'll make sure the doctor knows everything, and when you wake up we'll let you know what's going on with Reid. But for now, you need to sleep." She moved to stand up, but JJ tightened her grip on her hand.

"Stay, please?" She implored, voice almost a whisper as though she didn't want the others to hear. "Just you."

Hotch's eyes narrowed, but Emily just nodded with a soft smile, sinking back into the chair at the side of the bed. "Sure, as long as you need. I'll be here when you wake up."

The three men stepped out of the room and shut the door.

"Something's not right," Morgan pointed out immediately, even as the doctor from before strode up purposefully.

"Rape kit results came back," she said urgently.

"I can tell you right now there was sexual assault," Rossi replied grouchily, "don't need a 'rape kit' to tell us that. Now the only question is, how bad?"

"Looks like repeatedly," the doctor sighed, shaking her head. "At least twice, but probably more. She was torn up pretty bad, and needed stitches. I don't know how she managed to walk around for as long as she had. How long was she with the assailant?"

Hotch frowned. "Nearly two weeks."

She shook her head again. "Not good…"

"We'll be in the lobby," Hotch muttered after a beat, turning to leave.

"Wait," the doctor said suddenly, blinking owlishly. "I went upstairs to get the results of the test, and I heard my colleague in passing discussing your other agent."

All three were watching her now with anxious interest.

"I don't know much, but I distinctly heard Dr. Grant say the patient survived the operation. He was cleaning up when I saw him so he should be coming down to get you soon enough."

"Thank you," Hotch replied, sounding grateful. He followed Morgan and Rossi to the hospital's lobby.

"We need to get this asshole, Hotch," Morgan growled when the older man sank down into a seat beside him. Rossi nodded from the unit chief's other side.

"We will," Hotch said patiently. "Reid's sharp enough- we can take him through a cognitive as soon as he comes around."

"Which will be very soon," a new voice interjected, and the three looked up to see an older man standing in front of them with crossed arms. "Just what the hell is the FBI involved in these days that can get two agents in that kind of shape? Did you offer them to a terrorist in exchange for information, or something? My lord, I've never seen anything like it."

Stunned silence. It was Morgan who broke it.

"We're investigating a series of murders," he started slowly, "by a serial killer loose around here. The suspect knew we were on to him and lured our two colleagues into a trap, where he kidnapped them and… well, we don't know what he did yet. But we're still looking for him, so if you don't mind, we'd like to know what's up as soon as possible so we can station agents and officers with our coworkers so they can be protected in case the killer decides to come back and finish the job."

Rossi raised both eyebrows, while Hotch eyed Morgan with something like pride.

"Sure, I was getting to that," the doctor grouched. "Starting off, I'm Dr. Grant so you can address me as such and if you'll have a little patience," he said pointedly, giving Derek a look, "I'll be happy to explain and answer any questions I can. I have this, too. He asked me to have you hold onto it."

He handed Morgan Reid's badge. The agent blinked, clutching it as though it were a lifeline.

"I won't bore you with all of the medical junk, I'll just let you know how all this effects your lives and his." He stood straighter, readying himself. "He came to me, borderline comatose and hemorrhaging internally through the abdominal cavity. The discovered cause was snake-venom- he was aware just long enough, thankfully, to tell me the type of snake that attacked him. Thanks to that, my team and I were able to slow the bleeding enough to keep him alive while the anti-venom was flown in."

"Flown-in?" Rossi asked, "what was this, exactly?"

"He said It was a yellow-jawed tommygoff. I didn't understand until he said it was also known as a fer-de-lance. They don't typically live in North America. I assumed it had come from someone's private - _illegal – _ownership, or a zoo. Luckily, the local zoo was more than happy to provide me with a few doses of anti-venom."

"And is the poison gone now?" Hotch inquired, dark brow knit together tightly.

"It's working its way from his systems," Dr. Grant replied. "However, if you're referring to his health, then the poison is no longer ravaging his body. His temperature's the lowest it's been since he's gotten in and the internal bleeding has all but stopped. I suspect he'll be well on his way to recovering within the next few hours."

"So he's not out of the woods yet," Morgan said darkly.

"I'm afraid there's always risk, but, I doubt there will be any complications. Other than that, there were two deep stab wounds which have already been cleaned and sutured, and the rest was mostly broken bones."

"Can we see him now?"

The doctor paused. "It's never been allowed for a patient to have any sorts of visitors this soon after surgery. My nurses haven't even started bringing him out of the anesthesia yet. But this is important…. if you'd just follow me, I'll have you wait outside the door for a few minutes while we bring him around for you."

They followed until he stopped them at a door. "Give me a few minutes, I'll wake him up for you." He stepped into the room, leaving the door open but trusting them to keep distance. They watched anyway, trying to catch a glimpse of their long-missing friend. They couldn't see much through the doctor and nurses, but they didn't have to wait long until Dr. Grant returned, his weathered face looking relieved.

"All's well so far," he said lightly, abating many of the worries plaguing the agents. "Go and see him now, then, but don't stress him. And avoid touching the entire right side of him, if you can."

Morgan sauntered into the room briskly, leaving the others to follow at a more controlled pace. He pulled a chair to the left side of his friend and sat down on it, leaning forward to give the other agent a thorough once-over.

"Hey," he said brightly after a moments thought, "he doesn't look that bad."

Hotch circled like a shark, glaring over every inch of his recovered agents form. Or what he could see, anyway. A rumpled blanket was draped over his hips, but from the waist up he wore only tightly-bound gauze bandaging, and a sling that held his right arm in place. His fingers twitched lazily, but the team couldn't see much physical damage.

Reid's young face was relaxed in sleep, lips parted slightly as he exhaled with soft snores. Aside from his snow-white skin that was absolutely soaked in sweat, he looked just as he did any time he dozed off. Lazy. Morgan grinned.

"Good to see you in one piece, pretty boy," Morgan murmured quietly, despite knowing the young agent wouldn't hear him. His voice did bring about a reaction, and Reid started to stir.

"He's waking up already?" Hotch asked with mild surprise, moving up to look at his subordinate. "Reid?"

They patiently waited while their young friend pulled himself from drug-induced sleep. After a few minutes, he blinked up at them through misty eyes. The first thing he did was reach for the nasal cannula in irritation.

"Hey," Morgan protested, grabbing his wrist. Reid pulled his hand away violently.

"What?" He snapped back, voice a hoarse whisper. He took a second to calm down. "Morgan?"

"Yeah, it's me," the older agent replied, unable to keep from smiling.

"Where's Alex…? And JJ?"

"We don't know what happened to Napuri or Greene," Hotch spoke up. "We dropped the pursuit when I got the call telling us you and JJ were here. As for her, she's fine. Resting, and Emily's with her."

Reid relaxed fractionally. "Good," he murmured drowsily, "Alex… he…"

"Hold on," Hotch replied quickly, moving forward to stand beside his younger colleague. He touched Reid's free, bandaged hand with his fingertips, eyeing the gray-hued skin concernedly.

"Feeling up to a cognitive?"

Reid blinked, mouth turned in a frown. "Shoot."

"Can you tell me what you remember about the night you went missing? Anything you remember that stood out."

Reid took a deep breath, wincing. "JJ and I went to the bar, where you told us the witness wanted to talk to us… it sounded weird, that he wouldn't come into the station… but I didn't mention it. When we got there… he seemed normal enough. Morgan called me and I turned away to talk, but I heard he and JJ leaving through the back. I thought he said he was going to give her something. A photo, maybe."

"What did he look like?"

"Remarkably average," Reid sighed, "not skinny, not fat, but not really… built. Just, average. Blonde hair and blue eyes, but not blue like JJ's… more like slate blue. Shorter than me, but bulkier."

Rossi frowned. "What happened when you noticed she'd gone outside?"

"I stayed on the phone but JJ called me. I told Morgan I'd call back and clicked over. She told me she was fine and that Alex was going to take her to the unsub's house. But she sounded afraid… and Alex hadn't said he knew the unsub personally, let alone knew where he lived. I knew it was a lie, and I knew she was in danger so I hung up with Morgan and went after her."

"What happened when you went outside?" Hotch asked tightly.

Reid paused, breath raspy. "He had a gun to her head. I remember… the fear. I pulled my gun and told him to back down. He wouldn't, and I knew by the profile he would shoot her if I didn't cooperate. So I did."

"Where did he take you?"

"To his car," Reid winced again, and Morgan squeezed his hand. "Silver lexus. He drugged us both. We woke up in a basement, which I'm sure you guys found by now."

Rossi nodded. "What did he do to you?"

Reid shifted uncomfortably. "He kept making me protect JJ. He would come down and go for her first thing, so I had to interject, then he'd go after me. I have no clue what kind of tactic that was. But eventually he got sick of the game, stabbed me twice and then… JJ, god, he _raped _her…" His voice was strained now, and Hotch grimaced.

"That's enough for now, Reid," he said briskly, "you did very well. JJ's alright, so you focus on getting some rest."

The young agent settled back into the pillows. "Don't leave again, please… it's good to see you guys after all… that."

"You kidding?" Morgan replied affectionately, "I'm getting you a leash. You can come live with me. Or Garcia, she'd love to- Oh, _Garcia._ I have to call her."

"You haven't yet?" Reid asked drowsily, fingers twitching in Morgan's grip. "She's gonna… freak out."

Hotch interjected. "I'll call her, Morgan. We're going to get back to the station, the head to the hotel. Stay with him and Emily will stay with JJ. We'll meet up with you here in the morning."

He and Rossi exited the room, and the unit chief was dialing the familiar number on the phone immediately.

"_Speak to me, mortal." _She sounded more upbeat since she'd been informed they had the location of Greene's apartment.

"Garcia," Hotch replied sharply, "we've got them."

"_The unsubs, or our babies?" _

"Reid and JJ, we're with them in the hospital now. You can come down here now, we have their names. Just bring a laptop, we might need to do some tracking later."

"_Of course. I'll be on the next flight. How are they? JJ and Reid, I mean." _

Hotch took a moment to consider. "They'll be alright. They're resting now."

She sounded hesitant. _"Okay. I'll be there first thing in the morning. You call me if anything happens." _

"Goodnight, Garcia," Hotch said softly, slipping the cell phone back into his pocket when the call was ended. Rossi eyed him curiously.

"You feel guilty," he observed lightly, allowing the unit chief time to brood as they made their way back to the SUV.

"At this point, I should know better than to send JJ and Reid together to do things like this," Hotchner sighed wistfully, shaking his head.

"They'll be fine," Rossi replied encouragingly. "For now, let them rest. We have unsubs to catch."

* * *

A few hours after Hotch and Rossi's departure from the hospital, Emily had come wandering in, startling Morgan from his half-sleep in the stiff hospital chair. With a few quick words, she'd convinced him to come with her to get something to eat from the cafeteria, leaving their charges alone in their rooms.

Unnoticed, a dark form slipped into Reid's room, their gait uncertain and almost limping. Within seconds, the shadowed figure leaned over him.

"Reid," they hissed.

"_Gah!" _He woke easily, shoving the unknown person away as though he'd been expecting it. The figure fell backwards, landing in Morgan's vacant chair with a squeal of metal grating against the floor as it was pushed.

"Ow!"

Blinking at the unusually high pitched tone, Reid sat up straighter with an agonized groan, flipping the light switch. Narrowed blue eyes glared at him.

"JJ," he sighed, sounding relieved, "how'd you get in here?"

"I waited for Emily to leave, followed her here and when she and Morgan left, I waited till it was all clear, then I came in to visit you." She looked at him as though the entire situation should've been clear without an explanation.

He chose not to comment on the story. "How are you?"

She shrugged one shoulder. "I'm concussed. Couldn't get any sleep anyway, Emily kept waking me 'as per the doctor's orders,' she kept saying." The female agent pulled at a section of dirty blonde hair. She'd been doing it since she came into the room, and Reid's eyes narrowed.

"What about you?" she asked before he could comment. "The poison…"

He seemed unfazed. "It… hurts," he said darkly, "but less now. At least I know now that my arm won't rot off."

JJ glanced at his injured hand, noting with dismay that there were wires slipping under the gauze. "They stuck IV's in this hand, too?"

"Well, they had to go somewhere," he murmured, trying to move his other arm. The sling didn't allow much movement, but he winced anyway. "Ow."

"Just stay still," JJ murmured soothingly, "Reid, I have a problem."

He looked at her, his slow breaths silent.

She looked away, averting her eyes from meeting his. "I missed the whole team… I did. I was so happy to see them all when I woke up. Morgan walked toward me and I wanted to jump up and hug him, but he touched my hand and I pulled away. I didn't mean to… I think I hurt his feelings, but I didn't… not, want to be touched. I can't explain it."

"When he touched you," Reid started quietly, "all you could see, hear, and feel were Napuri's hands on your."

She looked up with wide blue eyes. "How did- nevermind… it's your job." She paused, sighing. "I forget sometimes how good at it you are… why do I feel like this, Spence? It's over with… I want to move on. I want to be able to touch Morgan, and Rossi, and maybe even Hotch… to prove to myself that nothing's changed, that I still care about them all."

Her eyes were misty now with unshed tears. "I want to be able to hug you and be close. I need to feel that you're still here. Because every time I close my eyes, you're gone." Her eyes were welling up, and Reid noted silently that JJ hadn't touched him the entire time she'd been in the room.

"JJ, you-"

"JJ? What are you doing?" Emily stepped into the room, bewildered and followed closely by a frowning Morgan.

The blonde leaned back in her chair. "I came to visit. I wasn't allowed to sleep so I wanted to talk."

"You shouldn't be up, let alone wandering the halls," Prentiss reprimanded gently. "Do you want to go back to bed? You can probably try to get some sleep for an hour or two before I have to get you up again."

"Yeah, just… give us a minute?"

Exchanging looks, the two agents stepped out to wait in the hall. JJ turned back to look at her drowsy partner.

"Spence, you saved my life," she started, "more than once. You put your life on the line for me. You were hurt because of me, and your suffering spared me any." For the first time, she took his hand, careful of the lines and wiring. She smudged a thumb over the bite wounds that were covered by the thin gauze.

"I can't ever repay you for that. Napuri got what he wanted from me… but it could've been so much worse. Thank you." She paused, meeting his gaze awkwardly before she rose on unsteady feet. Without warning, she leaned forward to press her lips to Reid's damp forehead.

"Get some sleep," she said softly, backing away. "Garcia will be here soon and we're going to be smothered. Better we have some energy." She left the room quietly, allowing Morgan to slip back into the room a moment later.

"So?" he asked curiously, "what'd she say?"

Reid was unusually quiet. "Nothing," he settled on finally. "nothing at all."

* * *

**I tried to get this done much more quickly than I usually do, in thanks for the awesome response for last chapter. I'm serious when I say leaving me reviews makes me write faster, haha, it's very inspiring. **

**You guys make me feel good about my work. Thank you. (: **

**Til next time, **

**Sharky**


	9. Chapter 8

**You guys are incredible. Marry me. **

**I apologize for the surplus whump here but I was a moron and forgot something important. Derrrrp.**

**By the way, I think there will only be an epilogue after this, so let's wrap this up with a BANG, guys! There are almost 100 alerts on this story, wow. (: **

**ALSO, I'm looking for a beta reader! I know it's a little late now, but I have other Criminal Minds fics planned and I'd love to be able to have this all double-checked so I don't notice mistakes way later. Please PM me if you're interested, thanks!**

**Without further ado, I present you with the longest chapter yet. Make it worth the work? ;)  
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_**Ashes of Our Lives – Chapter 8**_

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The shrill ringing of the phone around four am was, unfortunately, not something unusual. Hotch sat up in the hotel bed, running one hand through his short hair while the other reached for the phone on the end table, clicking _talk._

"Hotchner," he mumbled slowly, blinking to bring his vision to focus.

"_Agent Hotchner?" _He didn't recognize the male voice, but it sounded worried. Hotch was already standing, moving to get dressed.

"_This is Dr. Spade from Saddleback Hospital-"_

"Are my agents alright? Has something happened?"

A pause_. "Agent Jareau was having nightmares- they caused severe thrashing and movement. We had to restrain her to keep her from moving and causing herself injury. She woke up in tears and asked to see your other agent. When we refused, she asked us to contact you." _

"I'll be there as soon as I can, I'll bring the team."

"_Your other agent…" _The voice continued as Hotch was about to hang up.

"Reid? What's wrong with him?" He couldn't help the sick feeling of dread that began to coil around his consciousness like a black dragon.

"_He lost consciousness over an hour ago and his doctor was unable to wake him up. Investigation revealed a slow blood leak in his abdominal cavity that was missed during the initial surgery." _

Hotch stopped moving. "Missed?" he asked blankly, "how could you have _missed _something like that? What's the status?"

The doctor's voice wavered. _"I'm not exactly sure, agent. Dr. Grant took him back up to the OR about an hour ago, and they'll be finishing up within the hour." _

He tried to control the anger that threatened to boil over. "We'll be there shortly." He hung up before the doctor could reply, and he moved off to round up the rest of the team, his thoughts on his fallen colleagues.

* * *

At nearly five in the morning, Hotch hadn't woken everybody. By the time he and Morgan slunk into the hospital, they found Dr. Grant waiting for them, with JJ sitting in one of the waiting room chairs. She was wrapped in a blanket and didn't look up when they walked in.

"Doctor," Hotch greeted coolly, "please explain the situation."

Morgan sat beside JJ, his hand hovering above her back, but not touching. Her brows drew together and she sat up straighter, forcing herself into his touch. He sighed, glancing up at the doctor.

"Well," Dr. Grant said slowly, "as I'm sure Dr. Spade told you, we discovered an internal leak in Spencer's abdomen, something we missed initially."

"What I want to know," Hotch said stiffly, "is how a doctor, a _surgeon, _can _miss _something like that. People are supposed to put their lives in your hands, and you _risked his._"

"Agent, I assure you-"

Hotchner was understandably upset. "If he dies because of your mistake, I'll see to it that you never find work as a _doctor _ever again."

Dr. Grant took a deep breath. "Sir, we're lucky we found the tear when we did. There's… we found something that you should see." He pulled a zip lock bag from his oversized coat pocket and stepped forward, placing it in the unit chief's waiting hand.

Hotch looked at the bag with dark, severe eyes scanning the surface of the thin metal sheet. It was rusty, and crusted with blood. But what chilled Hotch to his very core were the words engraved on the silvery surface.

IN THE END, I STILL WIN. THEY ARE ONLY ASHES.

He locked eyes with Morgan, and though the younger profiler couldn't see the words, the fear in his eyes made it seem as though he understood anyway.

Hotch exhaled deeply, fingers tightening on the object. "You found this… _in _him?"

Dr. Grant's eyes were sad. "Wedged halfway under his _liver. _We aren't sure how it ended up there, but the only logical explanation is that it was inserted when the wounds were first opened."

"How is he now?" The quiet, shaky voice came from JJ, and all eyes turned toward her. She still had her head bowed, but she was allowing Morgan to brush his hand up and down her back soothingly.

"He's…" Dr. Grant looked to Hotch, who nodded his assent for the doctor to continue. "He's still unconscious. He won't be waking up for a while."

"Hotch," JJ said softly, finally looking up. Her face looked so worn and tired, eyes red-rimmed from tears and lack of sleep. "You guys, why don't you go back and get some sleep… there's another bed in Reid's room that's _empty, _but they won't let me stay there."

Hotch frowned, looking toward the doctor. "Why not, doctor?"

"With Agent Jareau's… nightmares keeping her up, and Agent Reid's need for rest right now, we think it would be a bad idea to have them stay together."

"Thanks for your _concern, _but I'd really like to wake up from my _nightmares _with someone I know and trust nearby," JJ replied sharply, her tone biting. "I'm sure Spence feels the same way."

"Doctor, please keep them together if you can. It'll be easier for us to watch them anyway."

"Hotch," Morgan spoke up suddenly, "Garcia will be here in a few hours. Should we just camp out here until she gets in? She's coming straight to the hospital."

"Yes, that's fine. Doctor," Hotch's eyes were hard, "set Agent Jareau up in the same room with Reid. Agent Morgan and I are going to stay with them until our colleague arrives in a few hours."

Morgan was already helping JJ to her feet, before the doctor had a chance to reply.

Dr. Grant heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Right away. Follow me."

* * *

Morgan was roused from his doze in the hard plastic chair by the familiar sound of high heel shoes clicking on linoleum flooring. Garcia swept into the room with all of her usual grace. Derek hadn't seen her in over two weeks, but she looked as she always had. colorful, beautiful, and very emotional.

She made eye contact with Morgan for a split second before her dark gaze lowered to meet Reid's prone form. She stepped up to him slowly, scarlet lips turned down in a trembling frown.

"Derek," she said softly, "he doesn't look good. I mean, he's still so cute, but-"

"I know what you mean, mama," Morgan replied softly. "He looked better yesterday, before the second surgery. Thing's aren't going as well now as they did the first time."

Penelope touched her fingertips to Reid's wild hair. "How could this happen?" her voice cracked, and she seemed heartbroken when the young doctor didn't respond to her touch. Suddenly, she reached into her big bag, removing a stuffed toy shark. She wedged it between Reid's arm and his side, smiling faintly. The fuzzy great white smiled at them with toothy jowls made of fabric. Its black, glass eyes looked shiny in the overhead light.

"He likes them," she said in response to Morgan's unasked question, "the sharks, I mean. Most people don't, but he does. Of course he does. I brought one for JJ too..." She held up another toy, a lion this time. "She told me once that she likes cats… I added some flair and made it a lion. Where is she?"

"Behind the curtain," Morgan said quietly, pushing the fabric back to reveal JJ's sleeping form on the other bed. Hotch was dozing in the chair at her bedside, but he woke quickly at the sudden noise. He greeted Garcia with a tired nod. Penelope sat the stuffed animal on JJ's bed, running a hand over her face.

"Boss-man," She said authoritatively, "why don't you and Derek go back to the precinct? I can stay with them… but I want you two helping Rossi and Emily to find this guy, _before_ he can do any more damage."

Hotch stood slowly. "I'll meet them, they should be up by now. Morgan can stay with you so at least one of you is armed. Do you have a computer ready?"

Her expression was grim as she gestured to her bag. "Always do. Go get these guys, sir."

Hotch left, frowning as he went. Garcia looked at JJ sadly, slipping a hand into the other blondes. As soon as their skin touched, JJ jerked away with a cry, throwing herself upright and blinking wide blue eyes. Reid grunted at the noise, cringing in his sleep.

"Jayje, calm down," Garcia said soothingly, her eyes wet. "It's me."

JJ took a few deep breaths, bracing her weight on her arms and looking at the analyst with indescribable relief. "_Garcia?_ God, I've missed you!"

The flamboyant tech smiled gently. "I've missed you too, kitten. How're we feeling?"

JJ's eyes watered. "I don't even know, Pen. Physically, I'm aching all over but I'm just so… scared." It looked like it was painful to admit, but once she had, she seemed relieved. Garcia noted with dismay that JJ looked bad. Her eyes were red-rimmed and sunken, and her skin was a snow white to rival Reid's.

"Not to offend, my love," Penelope started slowly. "but you look like hell. Can I get you anything? I'm here to help. Oh- I'll get you something to eat. Something gentle, but substantial, like-"

"Garcia," Morgan interjected, "you're rambling."

She blinked. "Right, sorry."

JJ was watching her with an amused, albeit exhausted expression. "Sounds good, Garcia. Thanks."

The blonde swept out of the room in a hurry, leaving Morgan with the two downed agents. He moved to sit in one of the chairs at JJ's bedside. She sat up, meeting a wave of dizziness. She swayed, and Morgan touched her shoulder, frowning when she flinched away. She leaned back into the pillows.

"How're you holding up?" He asked again, feeling heartache.

JJ looked at him, frowning. Her blue eyes were moist. "Better, I guess. I'm… I'm sorry I keep pulling away from you. I don't mean to."

"It's alright," Morgan replied gently, "it's not uncommon behavior seen from…" he trailed off, and JJ looked away abruptly.

"Not uncommon from… _rape _victims. Look, Derek… he got what he wanted from me. But I fought like hell, and Reid did too. He's hurt here because of me."

"No, not because of you," Derek replied fiercely, "and he wasn't hurt for you or in your place. He was hurt defending someone he loves."

A pale blush crept onto her cheeks and Morgan blinked, backpedaling. "Well, uh, you know what I mean. He cares about you, about all of us. He wasn't going to see you hurt if he could prevent it. It's just in his nature. He had the profile; he knew the consequences. And he did what he did anyway."

She was looking down at her lap. "He would've done the same for any of you guys, too. Just as you would all do the same for each other."

"That doesn't mean you aren't special to him, JJ," Morgan murmured, and she looked at him.

"What?"

He shook his head. "JJ, I know you're in shock right now, but if you want to talk… I'm here. We all are. I'm not Alexander Napuri; you know I would never hurt you."

A lone tear trickled down the side of her pale face. "At first, he only teased."

Morgan blinked in surprise as her abrupt decision to share her story. He leaned forward to show he was listening. He rested one hand on the side of the bed, a silent offer of support.

"He dressed the cuts inflicted by the… by the dog." She closed her eyes, feeling the tears come faster now. "But I had a gash on my hip. He treated it, but he put his hand down my skirt farther than he needed to. Reid watched, but Napuri didn't go farther than that. Later, he made a big jump."

"He went for you completely," Morgan supplied quietly.

She nodded. "He had me completely… naked. I tried to push him off, trust me Derek, I've never fought so hard in my life. He shot at Reid, but I couldn't see anything. He'd missed. He was on top of me, crushing me; when suddenly, he was gone. Reid had _jumped _him. I don't even know how he did it."

Morgan's eyes were troubled. "What did that lead to?"

"He brought in the snake," she replied, her voice a breathy whisper. "I like animals, Morgan. I do. But that snake… it's like it shared Napuri's mind. It looked at us so _hatefully. _And it came after us."

She paused, breathing heavily. Morgan winced when her crying became worse, and she was sobbing. "I made it bite," she choked out, "I was scared. It was getting close so I tugged on Reid's hand. The snake moved and I jumped. Reid jumped when I did threw out a hand to push the snake away and it bit at his hand."

For the first time, she put her hand on top of Morgan's, squeezing his fingers. "I was so scared. Reid told me what the poison would do and that's all I could think about. The snake got me, but it only grazed. I was paralyzed."

She paused, and Morgan said nothing; giving her time to collect herself.

"After that, he was finally able to… to…"

"I get it, JJ, you don't have to say it," he replied gently.

She looked at him, her blue eyes nearly silver with emotion. "While he… did it… Reid fought so hard. He begged, pleaded, and bargained. He knew nothing he said would change anything but he tried anyway. It… angered Napuri. He stabbed Spence twice."

It was the first time she'd called him by his nickname since she'd started; Morgan took note.

"He left after that, and that's when we got loose." She closed her eyes again, leaning back into the pillows. "We-"

"Sweetness, I brought chicken noodle," Garcia interrupted, striding back into the room. She set the tray on a startled JJ's lap, who pulled her hand free of Morgan's in near embarrassment, glancing up at her friend.

"Thanks, Pen. Is that mine too?" She gestured to the glass the techie was carrying.

"Oh, of course. Iced tea with lemon, just how you like it."

JJ took the offered drink, sipping it with something as close to a smile as she'd shown since they'd found her. "Thank you. Am I supposed to be having this?"

"Doesn't matter," Penelope replied, "I brought Reid a snickers and I have some skittles for you later. Screw rules, I'm here to spoil you."

"You say that," Morgan warned, "until they end up puking from eating something they're not supposed to."

"Ah, they'll be fine," Garcia argued lightly, "but if the doctor says no, I will wait eight hours before I try again."

JJ's lips twitched upward for a moment, listening to her friends' bickering. She sipped at the soup, feeling her tears dry against her skin.

"Guys," she interrupted, and they looked at her, argument ceasing.

"Thank you."

* * *

Alex Napuri's cold eyes watched the road in front of them. He was sitting in the driver's seat stiffly, as though upset. In fact, the anger emanated off of him in poisonous waves.

A woman sat in the passenger seat, mouth set in an angry frown. She stared out the window gloomily, without speaking. Her arms were folded.

Keith Greene sat in the back, eyes staring out his window as well. "Where are we going?"

His sharp voice broke through the eerie silence.

"Away," Alex replied darkly.

"Care to explain?" Keith shot back sarcastically.

Napuri's hands tightened on the wheel until his grip was white-knuckled. "We're ditching this car, first of all. Then we're going to stay with your mother."

"All the way out there?" Keith balked, "what about those two people?"

"The FBI agents?" Alex replied, teeth gnashing, "we'll get them. Maybe you can even have a go."

The teenager leaned back in his seat, looking pleased, but also reluctant. "Are you sure they were… good targets? I mean, the FBI is pretty powerful, isn't it?"

"They hadn't caught us yet," Alex said smoothly, "and they won't. You'll be surprised at just how good Rebecca is."

The woman turned to smile at him, though her face looked positively mean.

Keith leaned against the car door, looking bored. "They looked fun. When they burst through that door all panicked, they looked… like they'd fight."

"They did fight. I had to do more than I wanted to in the beginning."

"Is it better that way?"

Alex shrugged one shoulder, never once looking away from the road. "I guess. It's better that they fight than accept it, but I wish I could've had more time."

"But we're going to finish them, aren't we?"

Napuri's cold gaze seemed almost aglow in pure hatred. "Of course. I think it's time you make your debut."

* * *

"_Hotchner." _

Garcia bit her lip when he answered the phone, looking at Morgan warily. "Sir, I've been doing all I can and I can't find any traces of Alex Napuri's whereabouts. He doesn't have any documented properties or family, and the license plates for his lexus can't be found anywhere, I don't know how that's even possible."

There was a long pause on the other line, and Garcia felt her stomach sink. Finally, Hotch sighed. _"We've gone cold over here. We can't do anything else right now so we're going to head back to the hotel to pack up." _

Garcia and Morgan locked gazes, both sets of brown eyes wide in shock.

"Sir… we're giving up?"

"We can't let this guy get off free, Hotch!" Morgan exploded, standing up as though facing Hotch in person.

The unit chief paused again. _"We'll find him eventually, but for now… there's just nothing else we can do. We can get pictures into the press and have people look out for him, but it looks as though he's crossed state lines. I'm sorry." _

"Giving up isn't like you, Hotch," Derek muttered darkly, fingers clenching and unclenching.

"_I know. We'll find him, we just have to be patient." _

"You know the profile," Morgan said desperately, "you know he won't let JJ and Reid escape. How can they move on without living in fear, knowing this guy is still out there and wanting their blood?"

"_We'll continue working the case, Morgan," _Hotch repeated, _"but we're going to have to do it from home, in Quantico. There's nothing more, here. We're going to the hotel to get _everyone's _things packed and ready for the flight home. One of you needs to check with the doctors and see when Reid and JJ are cleared to come home." _He hung up without another word.

"So that's it."

The two agents looked at JJ, seeing that she was staring at her hands, folded in her lap.

"Oh, JJ-"

She shook her head. "It's okay, Garcia. I understand. There's work to be done at home… work that can be _solved." _

A monitor beeped, snapping all three from their thoughts.

JJ squirmed. _"Spence." _

Garcia and Morgan moved to the other side of the room, keeping clear room for JJ to see. The youngest agent stirred, a steady tremble creeping into his thin frame as he came around.

"Come on, sugar," Garcia said encouragingly. Clear, green-hazel eyes blinked up at them, half-lidded a few moments later. He didn't speak, only breathed soft, raspy breaths and mouthed her name.

She brushed her hand though his hair, scratching his scalp with her acrylic nails. He cringed. "How're you feeling, honeybee?"

"Garcia," he murmured softly, straining to sit up. She pressed a hand to his shoulder, and he winced. She let go quickly.

"Stay still," she chided, and Morgan moved up beside her, grinning.

"Welcome back, pretty boy! You've been sleepin' a long time, lazy."

"JJ," he said numbly, and Garcia turned to see the other blonde already struggling to get to her feet. She moved to help, allowing her friends arm around her shoulders. She helped her to the other side of the room and eased her into the uncomfortable chair beside Reid.

She and Morgan stepped back when the younger two made eye contact. It was like something clicked into place, and something was finally at peace.

"You're okay," Reid said softly, and she gently grabbed his injured hand in hers.

"And you will be too," she replied firmly.

"We'll be outside," Garcia said quickly, grabbing Morgan's wrist to pull him along with her. They stepped out of the room, leaving to two alone again.

JJ eyed Reid carefully. "You look atrocious."

He didn't bat an eyelash. "Nice to see you too, thanks."

She wrinkled her nose. "You need a shower. And you could probably stand to gain about fifty pounds."

He blinked. "Do I smell bad?"

"If you do, I've been with you long enough to where I'm used to it. I meant because you're literally spotted with dirt smudges."

"Hm," he replied thoughtfully. "It could be worse."

"You're so nonchalant."

"You said something similar to me, a while ago."

She remembered. "You're stronger than I am."

He looked at her sharply. "You're the only reason I made it through."

"You did it before."

He paused, his eyes pained. "Hankle wasn't like Napuri. It was different, then."

"I'm sorry." Her tone was sad.

"It's long over with. You have nothing to apologize for." He sighed, clenching his fingers around hers when a jolt of pain flashed across his torso. She leaned closer, brows drawn together in concern.

"So you're okay?" He asked when the spasm had passed.

"Yeah," she replied, "how're you feeling?"

He gave her an odd look and she shook her head. "Right, stupid question."

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments before she spoke again. "So we're heading home soon. I think you and I get air-transport to a hospital in Quantico. I don't really _need _to stay, but I wouldn't leave you alone anyway."

He looked at her, his pale eyes calculating. "They didn't catch Napuri."

She stilled. "How could you…"

"Profiler, remember. You're posture says you're uncomfortable. If Napuri was safely locked away, you'd be a lot more relaxed." He frowned, pulling his hand away to press it against his abdomen, as though to suppress pain. "Looks like we'll have to watch our backs for a while."

She rested her hand over his, a slow and unsteady smile rising on her pretty, if not worn, face.

"We'll be fine," she murmured slowly, and he closed his eyes, fingers twitching under hers.

"I was afraid, you know," she said suddenly, and he looked at her in puzzlement. "When he said they'd only find our tortured bodies. I thought the team would find our remains and only find remnants. Pieces… I thought they'd find only the _ashes_ of our lives, the little bits that were left over. I thought we'd die without telling everyone goodbye… and that scared me."

With a sudden boldness that was uncharacteristic of him, he reached up with his bandaged hand to push her dirty, blonde hair from her eyes. She blushed faintly, and he pulled back quickly.

"But we're stronger than that," Reid replied gently, "in the end, we won."

JJ smiled, smudging her thumb over the back of his gauze-wrapped hand. "You're right."

They had no clue of the irony.

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**Only the epilogue left now. (: **

**If you guys leave me nice reviews now, I'll make it a nice, full epilogue. I'd like to finish these last two bits off with a bang. Let's see if we can top my other story, Jeux D'esprit, which also has 10 chapters and 170 reviews. Let's beat it, guys. **

**I hope you enjoyed it, I enjoyed writing it. **

**Until next time, **

**Sharky**


	10. Epilogue

**So my computer ate this chapter when I was eight pages in so I had to start over; that's what took so long. D: **

**& I'm trying to write this straight through but **_**Psych **_**is on behind me and Shawn & Gus' adventures are seriously distracting as well as entertaining.**

**Now on to the sentimental goo. (: **

**You guys have been wonderful. I can't thank you enough for all the wonderful feedback for this story. **

**Here, I present you with the epilogue. **

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_**Ashes of Our Lives – Epilogue**_

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_That's alright, because I like the way it hurt-_

JJ pressed the mute button on the radio, releasing a gentle sigh as she maneuvered her car into the familiar parking space of the also familiar apartment complex. She'd only been out for two hours, but already she felt more than eager to get back. Without a hesitation she would've had just less than a month ago, she turned the engine off and slipped out of the car, locking it behind her as she made her way up the stairs.

Finding the door, she fumbled at the top until her pale-pink fingernails found the object of pursuit. Rolling a shoulder with a wince, she pressed the spare key into the lock and twisted it, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

"Spence?" She called, closing and double-locking the door behind her, setting her oversized purse on the floor by the couch.

He emerged from the kitchen a moment later, rubbing a dishtowel over wet hair; he was wearing giant sweatpants and a tshirt. She blinked in surprise at the unusual uniform, shaking her head.

"Did you wash your hair in the sink?"

"Yeah, well," he defended immediately, gesturing to himself, "wet gauze is just a huge giant mess, so I decided to avoid the shower altogether."

She wrinkled her nose. "You're going to stink."

"No," he replied, offended, "I do not stink."

JJ raised one delicate, blonde brow. "If anything, you smell like coffee. Which smells nice, so don't worry."

He shrugged his good shoulder in response, choosing not to mention that he wans't even supposed to be having coffee.

"Why isn't your arm up?" She asked suddenly, noting with alarm that his right arm was at his side for the first time in days.

"I had to wash my hair," he replied with a small voice, "so I took it off."

"Yeah, well, it's going back _on,_" JJ grouched, "you heard what—"

"It's over here, I'll get it," Reid cut her off, snagging the sling off the counter with his good hand and giving it to her. She helped him strap it on, rubbing the coarse black material when she was done.

"You're going to mess yourself up if you don't stop breaking all the rules. Are you even supposed to be _having _coffee? Because you reek like it."

He half-smiled. "I take it you're here for more than just talking."

She shook her head. "You're too observant. The gang wants us to meet them at emerald's."

"Emerald… Dragon?" Reid asked blankly. "That Chinese place?"

"The china bistro we go to all the time," she replied, her tone holding a hint of concern. "You don't remember?"

He'd been off since they'd been home; sometimes, little things took him a moment to catch. He had to honestly _think _about some little things, in order to remember. It'd been worrying, but they'd been assured it was simply because of the trauma, and that eventually everything would be back to normal.

"I remember that everything there is either spicy or drowned in sauce," he muttered. "I'll go get dressed."

"I'll be waiting in the car," she called as he disappeared into the hallway. She left, making sure to lock the door behind her and replace the spare key above the doorframe.

She made her way down the stairs and to her car, fumbling in her bag for her keys. Unlocking the vehicle, she slipped into the drivers' seat, throwing her purse into the backseat. She started the engine and closed her door, locking it.

She was reaching for the volume knob on the radio when something shiny caught her eye. Leaning back, her pale brows pulled together when her gaze settled on the messy stack of glossy papers on the right side of her dashboard.

Biting her lip and throwing a glance toward Reid's apartment door at the top of the stairs, she snatched the papers and flipped through them. Her blue eyes grew wider with each turn, and she felt her stomach twist and her heart jump.

Before she knew what she was doing, she was out of the car and running, her heels clicking loudly against the asphalt. She left the car door open and the engine on.

"Reid!" She shouted, throwing her weight up the stairs and smashing into him as he came down. He yelped, pushing her away.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, squeezing his shoulder apologetically. "I was moving so fast, I didn't see you."

"That doesn't even make sense," he replied, but she shook her head wildly, shoving the papers in his face.

"I just found these on my dash."

She flipped through them for him, and he frowned. "You found them in your car? Didn't you lock it?"

"Yeah, and that's why it's weird. God, Spence, some of these—"

"How could he have been taking pictures of us without us noticing?" He seemed to be asking himself more than her, and he shifted his weight.

"Look at this," She said, lifting one of them. It was a crystal clear photograph of the two of them in Reid's apartment; he was smiling, and was talking. She was helping him into his sling.

"This couldn't have been more than ten minutes ago," she said desperately, "it looks like it was taken through the blinds on your window."

"Which means—"

"Oh, god," JJ gasped, blue eyes wide, "he could still be close, waiting for us, and I… I left my car open. Come on, let's go meet the others."

They made their way back to JJ's waiting car, glancing around every few steps. Reid dutifully checked the backseat and trunk of JJ's civic before they got in and locked the doors. She nearly floored the vehicle onto the public streets, taking off toward the familiar Chinese café.

* * *

It took them less than ten minutes to arrive at the café, where JJ parked along the curb. Reid paused on the sidewalk to let his hazel eyes sweep up and down the street, when JJ linked her arm with his.

"Come on," she urged gently, "everyone's waiting."

He reluctantly allowed her to lead him inside, but when the entire team, seated at their normal table, turned to look at them, he pulled his arm from JJ's grip quickly. He missed the look of surprised hurt that flashed over her delicate features.

Frowning, JJ took her normal spot beside Emily, and Reid sank down beside her. He was immediately being smothered by Morgan's half-joking attentions, so JJ turned to her female friend.

"So," Emily said with a smile before JJ could speak, "you guys took forever so ordered your usuals."

"And rice-noodle-soup for Mr. sensitive-stomach," Morgan grinned, poking Reid's side.

The younger profiler narrowed his eyes at him. "_Thank you, _Morgan."

"Don't worry honey," Garcia piped up, sipping her chai tea, "mama got you your eggrolls."

Reid leaned back, satisfied, while Morgan rolled his eyes.

"So," Hotch spoke up, setting the elegantly decorated menu down on the oak table. "How have you both been, recently?"

"Even though you ask us every day?" JJ asked, brushing a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "I think we'd both be better if we hadn't gotten these this morning." She pulled the photos from her bag and set them on the table, pushing them over to Hotch.

He picked them up and flipped through them, with Emily and Rossi leaning in from either side of him to look and Morgan rapping his fingers on the table impatiently, waiting to see.

Hotch looked at both younger agents sharply, his dark eyes hard. "You got these today? Where?"

"They were left in her car," Reid murmured, sipping a glass of water. "But the door had been locked. We don't know how they got in there, but one of the photos was taken only a few minutes before we found the pictures."

Rossi's brows drew together. "But we thought he'd crossed state borders. How could he still be here?"

"We have to get back on the case, Hotch," Morgan growled, snatching the photos and leafing through them, while Garcia watched over his shoulder with a worried expression.

Hotch shook his head. "We still need a lead. We know he's watching, but what can we do?"

JJ rubbed her left arm with her right hand. "I don't know what we can do, Hotch, but I'm tired of living in fear. Don't say anything, _Morgan, _but I've been sleeping in his apartment during the day, for the past week," she jerked a thumb at Reid, who only nodded slowly.

Morgan had the decency not to make a joke out of a bad situation. "Why'd you start doing that? You were fine for the first few days."

JJ shrugged one shoulder, her blue eyes troubled. "I had that _I'm-being-watched _feeling, and it was creeping me out, to put it very, very mildly. I called Reid and he said I could stay over cause he was a little skittish too. I didn't want to sleep over at night because I figured that'd be a little out of bounds so he's been letting me sleep over there during the day."

Reid wrapped his free arm around his aching torso. "I've gotten the feelings too, but I haven't seen Napuri at all since… since we've been back. How could he even know where we live?"

"Unless he's been stalking us big time ever since we flew home," JJ replied grimly, fiddling with her napkin.

The waiter came back then, dispersing the ordered food over the table and leaving silently. The agents frequented the restaurant, and most of the staff knew that they were busy and took no offense to their lack of conversation toward them.

JJ dug into her noodles, still carrying a troubled expression. "I don't know what we can do, guys. We have nothing to go on to find Napuri at all… all we can do, literally, is wait until he shows himself… which, needless to say, isn't something I want to wait around for."

"But we can't hide you," Rossi said darkly, "or he'll disappear."

Emily shook her head. "He's a need-based killer. He can't stop. But, he won't give up on JJ and Reid unless they're dead by some other means, or we catch him. It's the only way. He'll fight his way to them, leaving as many bodies as it takes behind until he gets what he wants."

"So he'll kill until he gets us," JJ murmured softly, "how many people will die for us?"

"Don't think like that, kitten," Garcia said sadly, "we'll get our baddies. We always do."

Reid poked at his eggrolls, feeling his already meager appetite dwindle. "We'll get them. We just have to profile them like we do with any other unsub. Pretend it's not personal."

"You can't ask us to forgive and forget," Morgan shook his head. "Our anger probably _is _clouding our thoughts, but it's impossible not to think about it. I don't know how you two can act so calm."

"It's only calm during the day," JJ replied, rubbing at her eyes with clenched hands. "At night, every single time I close my eyes, I can see it happening again and again. I can feel everything, and it's horrible. That's why I've been sleeping during the day, at Reid's. It's the only way I can sleep; when he's there, awake, because I know he'd wake me up if anything happened."

Hotch looked at Reid. "What about you?"

Reid frowned, not looking up. "I wake up every night _really _nauseous… it's from the medication, so when it wakes me up, thankfully it ends whatever dream I'm having. I relive it at night like JJ does. I feel everything, as illogical as it sounds. The dreams are torture themselves… I usually can't get back to sleep, after."

"Don't your medications make you sleepy?" Emily asked, with a furrowed brow. "They should help you sleep."

"They make me drowsy," Reid replied, "but all they really do is make it that much harder to get up in the middle of the night."

"What about witness protection?" Garcia asked. "Napuri won't know where they went… he'd look for them right? Then maybe he'd come out of hiding."

"I hope it doesn't have to come to that," Hotch murmured grimly. "But we have no way of knowing." He raised one hand for the check, and their waiter offered it silently. Rossi handed the unit chief a credit card, and Hotch gave it back to the waiter with a quietly murmured 'thanks.'

"For now," Hotch sighed, "all we can do is wait, as much as none of us want to hear that. When can the two of you come back?"

"I can come back any day now," JJ replied. "I'm just… I don't know, I've been putting it off."

"You need to take your psych-eval," Hotch responded softly, frowning. "I know you don't want to, but it's necessary. We don't want to put you in the field if you aren't ready." He cut his dark eyes at Reid, who leaned back in his seat and fiddled with the edge of his shirt.

"Uhm," the young agent murmured, watching the patterns in his untouched soup, "I have one-month mandatory, two-months recommended."

"So it's safe to say we'll see you in exactly thirty days?" Rossi asked, smiling crookedly.

Reid smiled faintly, something that was becoming more and more rare these days. "Yeah, I can't wait to get back to work. I don't like being home."

Hotch shook his head. "Unfortunately, home is where we all need to go now. It's getting late; you guys aren't allowed to work yet, but you're welcome to come in tomorrow, if you feel safer at the BAU."

"Yeah, and if Strauss sees you," Morgan added, grinning, "tell her you're just hanging out because you have nothing better to do."

JJ frowned. "She scares me."

Reid stretched, wincing. "I hope I can get some sleep tonight. I'm so tired."

JJ grabbed her bag, standing up. "Let's go, then. I want to get back too; I can take you home first."

Reid stood too, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Thanks for dinner, Rossi."

The older agent blinked. "You didn't eat anything."

Reid looked at the eggrolls and soup he hadn't touched. "Uhm, sorry…"

Rossi shook his head. "You're welcome, anyway."

"Remember," Hotch said suddenly, "there's room at my house if either of you need a place to stay."

"Or mine," Garcia added cheerfully, winking.

"Any of us would be happy to have you, you know that," Morgan supplied, and everyone nodded.

"Thank you," JJ said, "I need to learn, gradually, to stay on my own… until then, we'll see where I end up every night. Garcia, maybe I'll come over tomorrow?"

"I'd love to have you, sugar," The tech replied, her clam-pink lips turned up in a bright smile. She reached out to hug the smaller blonde. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

She kissed two fingertips, pressing them to Reid's nose. He tried to look, and she laughed at his cross-eyed gaze. "Bye, honey."

The team chorused their goodbyes as the two left, and JJ shook her head once they were outside. "It's always surprising how loud and rowdy we can all be when we're not working."

Reid didn't reply; and she noticed he was staring at something on her car. He reached forward to pull the photograph from the windshield. It was a picture of all of them, in the restaurant. JJ's eyes widened, and Reid flipped it over to see words written in purple ink on the back.

I AM ALWAYS WATCHING.

He shuddered once, and crumpled the paper, tossing it on the ground.

"Should we go tell them?" JJ asked worriedly, but he shook his hear.

"There's nothing they can do," he sighed, "let's just go."

They made one last up-and-down sweep of the street, and when they didn't notice anything out of place, the pair got into the car and headed back, making sure to lock the doors on the way.

* * *

JJ pulled her civic into the same parking space in the lot at Reid's apartment complex. She turned off the engine, glancing at him as he unbuckled the seat belt.

"Thanks for taking me home," he murmured, almost sounding shy. "I really need to get a new car."

She half-smiled. "When you find the right one… or you could just continually lease the bureau SUV's."

He wrinkled his nose. "I'm one remarkably tiny person. I don't need a _bus_."

She looked at him, her blue eyes finally calmed. "Thank you," she said suddenly, making him look at her sharply in surprise with confused hazel eyes. They were more green than brown tonight, she noticed.

"For everything," JJ replied. "I know I've said it before… but still, thank you. You've been too good to me, especially since we got back, with letting me stay over and everything…"

He hesitated, as though debating with himself, then he finally worked up the courage. "I, uh… well, you're always welcome," he murmured, "you could stay now… tonight, I mean, if you don't want to go home."

She blinked in surprise, and he tried to backpedal. "I mean, if you… never mind, that was out of line…"

She shook her head, cutting him off. "No, Spence, I… I want to stay. I feel more comfortable. With you, I mean. Uh-"

"Okay," he said, before she could continue trying to undo what had been said. "Let's go inside then… it's getting dark out."

They got out of the car and made their way up the stairs to his apartment. Along the way, JJ wasn't sure how it had happened, but she'd gotten closer to him. Their hips nearly touched, and in one fluid move, she put her arm around his waist.

She could feel him almost stumble in surprise, and she nearly smiled. After a moment's hesitation, he put his good arm around her shoulders, and she unlocked the door with his key.

He headed off for the bedroom first, and JJ sank down on the couch, smiling when she noticed Jenn, the stuffed shark that Garcia had gotten Reid, sitting there atop a crumpled blanket. She pulled her toy lion from her bag, setting it next to the shark.

"There," she said when Reid came back, dressed again in more comfortable clothes. He looked at the toys, one dark brow raised. "Now Jenn and Spencey can hang out too."

"You really like that thing, don't you?"

"What, you don't like yours?" JJ asked.

He sat down beside her, lifting Jenn and turning it upside down to show her the tag on its belly. It read 'REID' with a heart, scrawled in black ink. She recognized the elegant handwriting as his.

"So it doesn't get stolen," he explained, and she couldn't help but laugh.

He half-smiled. "It's getting late, so I'm gonna go to bed. You can have my room; I'm gonna stay on the couch."

At first, she had argued the arrangements, but as the days passed, she'd grown to accept it. He was happier that way.

She stood, taking Spencey with her, and he stretched out on the couch, pulling at the worn blanket and settling down.

JJ took a step toward the bedroom when she paused, looking back at him. He wasn't watching her; instead he was rubbing at the soft fur of the toy shark's back, his face concentrated.

"You're a good friend, you know that?" She asked suddenly, and he paused in his examination of the toy, looking at her in surprise. She leaned down, throwing her arms around his neck in a lack of self-control he'd never seen. She tightened her death grip, resting her cheek against his shoulder and almost lying on his front. He was too stunned to react, but after a few seconds, it sank in. Blinking slowly and putting conscious effort into it, he hugged her back, gently folding his arms around her waist.

"Thank you," she whispered again, and though he'd heard it a million times, it was somehow different. He didn't reply; and he didn't need to.

She pulled back with a lazy smile, blue eyes finally at peace.

"You've helped me through a lot, Spence... get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

She left for the bedroom in search of something to wear and some place to sleep, leaving a flabbergasted young genius sitting up on the couch, wondering when things had gotten so comfortable.

All they had to do would be patient. Thing's would turn out all right… they always did.

The owner of the camera peering in through the window, however, begged to differ.

* * *

**THE END. **

**Thank you guys so much for reading & reviewing this story. I'm so glad it was well received. **

**JJ & Reid's behavior was a bit unrealistic in this epilogue, I know, but I wanted to end it somewhat happily. The sequel will deal with the trauma and what they're really feeling. And of course, we'll see what Napuri is up to…**

**Thank you guys again! I hope you read the and enjoy the sequel just as much as you did with **_**Ashes. **_**The sequel is called **_**What We Have Left **_**and I already have the first bit posted, so please check it out. **

**Until next time, **

**Sharky**


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